The GCSAA, PGA of America and other members of the American Golf Industry Coalition work to spread the positive environmental story of the sport annually during National Golf Day. The GCSAA’s Grassroots Ambassador program, which matches a GCSAA Superintendent with a member of Congress in their respective district, often results in a lawmaker visiting their course for a tour and a chance for essential education. The Southern California PGA Section launched a pilot program last year to work with the GCSAA on the program, with hopes of adding six new PGA of America Sections to the program this year and scaling up from there.
As the PGA Owner and Operator of Augusta Ranch Golf Club, a public facility in Mesa, Arizona – an area of the country where water usage is a longtime concern that continues to grow – Rea has armed himself and his staff with statistics that can be easily shared with golfers, community members or legislators when talking about golf and the environment. For example, golf courses in Arizona use less than 2 percent of the state’s water, much of it reclaimed, compared with 70 percent that is consumed for agriculture. Yet golf is a $6 billion industry in the state that provides thousands of jobs and other benefits for communities.
“It’s more than just the golf courses, it’s what the golf courses do with that water,” Rea says. “This is green space for families to enjoy themselves. This is a place where charities raise more money than any other sport. This is where we host programs like PGA HOPE that have a priceless impact for so many of our country’s Veterans.
“The important point to learn and make at your course is that we have a positive impact on the game and the environment. It’s different in different areas of the geographic areas of the country, but having an understanding of this issue and being able to discuss it with golfers and with your owners and operators is very important for PGA of America Golf Professionals.”
PGA Magazine talked with experts from across the golf business about environmental trends PGA of America Professionals should know. What follows is information you can use when talking about the game’s impact on the environment, and when planning ways for your facility to improve efficiency now while preparing for future challenges.
PGA of America Golf Professionals don’t need to be experts on the environment, but they should have some talking points to share with members, guests, community members and lawmakers about the game’s positive impact. Here are a few important facts you can share that have been compiled by the PGA of America, USGA, GCSAA and National Golf Foundation:
• Water use on golf courses declined by roughly 19 percent between 2005 and 2020 due to water conservation strategies.
• Pesticide use on golf courses is highly regulated – requirements that far exceed those faced by homeowners with their lawns – and expensive, giving courses strong incentive to use them only as needed.
• Because turfgrass systems have large surface areas and strong root structures, runoff of pesticides from golf courses is very limited.
• In urban areas, golf courses can significantly reduce temperatures both on the property and more than a quarter-mile around the course, helping cool cities on hot days.
• The average golf course has more than 23 acres of wild area, supporting diverse wildlife populations and creating habitats for birds, aquatic life and a number of threated species.
• Golf courses serve as natural filtration systems for stormwater runoff, and can improve the quality of water as it passes through the course.
• Turfgrass and plants on a golf course can help take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and act as air purifiers for developed areas.
• Practices such as converting unnecessary managed turf into native vegetation, using recycled water and increasing use of electric-powered equipment can be expanded to improve golf’s environmental footprint even further.
For more examples of how golf facilities are improving their environmental performance, check out the Best Management Practices posted by the USGA Green Section (www.usga.org/course-care/water-resource-center.html) and the GCSAA (www.gcsaa.org/environment/bmp-planning-guide/best-management-practices/state-bmp-guides).
