Club Management - March/April 2008 - (Page 32)

to show what’s really going on. But now, if concerns come up about golf courses or the industry in general, we have the data that gives the correct information and portrays the industry accurately and fairly.” Results from the ﬁrst survey have been completed and were published in the November 2007 edition of the online scientiﬁc journal Applied Turfgrass Science. The National Golf Foundation was contracted to conduct the survey, manage the recruitment of participants and complete the analysis of the data in collaboration with GCSAA. The article, “Golf Course Proﬁle Describes Turfgrass, Landscape, and Environmental Stewardship Features,” was written by GCSAA Director of Environmental Programs Greg Lyman, Throssell, Senior Manager of Environmental Programs Mark Johnson, Senior Manager of Market Research & Data Greg Stacey and National Golf Foundation Director of Research Clark Brown. The property proﬁ le survey was distributed to 16,009 golf courses in March 2006 and accepted until early July 2006. A total of 2,981 useable surveys were returned (18.6 percent return rate), and all types of courses (private clubs, daily fee, municipal) were adequately represented across seven agronomic regions of the nation. “The success of the project lies squarely on the shoulders of the facilities in providing data,” Throssell said. “It is important that the leadership at these facilities and golf’s allied associations support the golf course superintendent in this project. This is an intense process, and we appreciate their efforts.” Some of the key ﬁndings from the property proﬁle survey show: • An average golf course comprises 150 acres, including 100 acres of maintained turf. Of that, the most intensely maintained areas, tees and greens, make up just 7 percent, or barely 7 acres on average, of the total. • On the average golf course property, nearly one-third of the area is made up of non-turf landscapes (24 acres), water features (11 acres), buildings (6 acres), bunkers (4.5 acres) and parking lots (4.5 acres). • Non-turf landscapes, which comprise 358,278 acres nationwide, include forests/woodlands, native grasslands, shrublands, deserts, riparian areas, buffer strips, garden/landscape areas and other unmowed vegetation. • Twenty-nine percent of 18-hole U.S. golf facilities currently participate in a voluntary environmental stewardship program. • The highest rate of program participants were golf properties that had more than nine holes, are private and employ a GCSAA member superintendent. • Almost all U.S. golf facilities (96 percent) reported making at least one environmental improvement since 1996, and 57 percent have made ﬁve improvements. • The ﬁve environmental improvements most often made were irrigation system upgrades (65 percent), chemical storage (53 percent), native plantings (51 percent), wildlife habitat (47 percent) and erosion control (42 percent). A full report of the study, including narrative, graphs, charts and tables, is accessible via GCSAA’s Web site at gcsaa. org. Additional reports on the second (water use and conservation) and third (nutrient inputs) surveys are expected to be compiled and released in the spring and fall. The fourth survey was distributed in January to GCSAA members and nonGCSAA member golf course superintendents to collect data on pesticide use on golf courses. Follow-up surveys for each phase will be done every ﬁve years on a staggered basis to record the industry’s progress over time. “This research can guide our environmental efforts where we’re doing well, need to continue to do well and where the golf industry needs to be more aware,” Throssell said. ❚❘ Since 1926, GCSAA (www.gcsaa.org) has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. The association’s philanthropic organization, the Environmental Institute for Golf (www.eifg.org), works to strengthen the compatibility of golf with the natural environment through research grants, support for education programs and outreach efforts. How to describe your best potential for growth? Family-friendly. Swim, run, walk, climb, chase, swing, dance, scramble, game, watch, connect, smile, giggle, laugh, play. Let’s go to the club, Dad! Let us help create a familyfriendly environment. Call us at 937.427.2770 or visit altarchitecture.com. character community 32 • CLUB MANAGEMENT 362676_ALT.indd 1 12/22/07 1:11:12 PM http://www.gcsaa.org http://www.eifg.com http://www.altarchitecture.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Club Management - March/April 2008

Club Management - March/April 2008 Contents President’s Message Board Governance Technology Human & Professional Resources 2008 CMAA President Peter Homberg: A Profile in Courage, Perserverance Welcome, CMAA 2008 Board of Directors Club Events: Bring Magic to Your Members Club Adopts 'Dependent Parent' Membership Policy Paving a Path to Success Groundbreaking Project Measures Environmental Data for Golf Courses Paradise Preserved HFTP Insight New Directions Global Outreach Products and Services Marketplace Advertiser Index/Advertisers.com Club Wrap

Club Management - March/April 2008

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