Green Means Green

What can owners do right now to positively change the environmental impact of their golf courses? Surprisingly simple: reduce maintenance by a small amount in key areas of the course layout.

From the July 2007 issue of Golf Business magazine, these are the measures that can not only give you a "green" advantage in your marketing efforts but also yield financial improvements to the bottom line.

1. Move low-maintenance down to no-maintenance
Take areas that are completely out-of-play off the mowing schedule entirely. For example, leave the areas behind and beside the tees alone. This reduces labor costs, fuel, irrigation, emissions, and on and on.

2. Go native
Reintroduce native plants to low-maintenance and no-maintenance areas. These plants will be better suited for local weather and more resistant to area insects. That means less pesticide, but it also means less worry about watering and less seasonal reseeding.

3. Reduce high-maintenance turf by 30%
U.S. courses average about 100 acres of high-maintenance areas for greens, fairways and tees. But the required playing area for an 18-hole course is estimated to be only 70 acres. That means most U.S. courses are 30 acres over-managed. Moving even some of this land off the high-maintenance docket could have a dramatic effect on costs associated with water use and chemicals.

4. Take the public relations opportunity seriously
Answer your golfer's questions (or protestations) before they ask. Many U.S. golfers do not understand the benefits of reduced course maintenance. They tend to think "less maintenance" translates to disorder or a lack of attention to details. Not the case at all! Similarly, non-golfers in the community don't understand that most golf courses have an incentive for environmental protection. Tell them about it! Leverage the green buzzwords, but back it up with tangible action plans.