Introducing Turfhugger

Recently I've taken a break from goforethegreen for three reasons:

1. A new Border Collie Puppy
2. Very busy with my company Out on a Limb
3. The creation of a new blog - www.turfhugger.com

Turfhugger.com aims to report and promote the efforts, products, technologies and personalities who lead our industry towards an environmentally sustainable future. Turfhugger.com will enjoy its “soft release” on July 23 during the Canadian Open and the “hard release” on Thursday August 20th during the Wyndham Championship.

I'm extremely excited to introduce Turfhugger.com's contributers:

• Paul Robertson, Turf Superintendent at Victoria GCC
• Jeff Mingay, Golf Course Architect
• Michael Vogt, McMahon Group
• Mark Scenna, Environmental Investigations Ltd
• Darryl James, Arbor Turf Solutions
• Rob Mallette, Strategic Sustainable Solutions
• Scott Morrison, Out on a Limb (This guy's amazing!)
  

I'd like to thank all my readers (all 837 of you from 13 different countries!) from the past year and a bit, it was your comments, and your support that encouraged me to create a more concise and creative blog.

Peace.

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This Week in Green Golf

The Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic is this weekend, and although nothing jumps out at me as being "green" it is co-hosted by The Raven at Lora Bay in Collingwood Ontario. The Raven at Lora Bay is an Audubon Certified, IPM Accredited (I think the 1st in Collingwood) facility. I Met the Superintendent Chris LeCour a few years ago, you can't help but to be moved by his passion for the environment and it's demonstrated in his maintenance practices. Check out his blog to read up on some of the happenings at Lora Bay.


The Pennsylvania Environmental Council recently released a Golf Course Water Resources Handbook for Best Management Practices handbook to help golf courses throughout the state restore wetlands, manage stormwater, and make courses more enjoyable. Read the full article here, and be sure to view the Power Point Presentation as it's easiest one of the best available on the internet. Download your free copy of the handbook at www.pecpa.org/gchandbook


Courtesy of the GCSAA, 2009 ELGA applications are now available!
From the press release: "The GCSAA/Golf Digest Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards are now available online. The ELGAs, presented in partnership with Syngenta and Rain Bird, Golf Division, recognize golf course superintendents and golf courses for their commitment to environmental stewardship. The deadline for applications is Oct. 18, 2009.

Applicants are judged on five areas: Resource Conservation, Water Quality Management, Integrated Pest Management, Wildlife/Habitat Management and Education/Outreach. National winners will be determined from the top public, private, resort and international applicants. From the national winners, an overall winner will be announced. In addition, Chapter and Merit prizes are also awarded.

All ELGA winners receive:

• Recognition in Golf Digest and GCSAA publications
• Recognition at the 2010 GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show in San Diego.
• An invitation for the winner's employer to attend the recognition activities in San Diego.
• A personalized trophy or certificate of achievement
• National, regional and local publicity

For more information about the ELGAs, contact Greg Lyman, GCSAA’s director, environmental programs, at glyman@gcsaa.org or at 800-472-7878, ext. 3625."

Check out this GCSAA Video featuring previous ELGA Winner James Roney



Can you say this ten times fast "Dr. John Kaminski,Dr. Megan Kennelly,Dr. Jim Kerns, Dr. Lane Tredway,Dr. Frank Wong "?

Well you don't have to, instead just go to the shared blog aptly named "Golf Course Disease Updates By University Professors". This blog covers timely turf grass disease information for the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, West and South Central regions of the US.



Landscape Management is an excellent resource when it comes to environment/turf news. Some of their latest articles that I really like include:
Ten Environmentally Friendly Landscape Tips
New Brunswick Pesticide Ban Explained
Weather Based Irrigation System Expected to Save Cemetery 100,00 Gallons

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Canada Day tribute to Stanley Thompson

On June 29th in Ingonish Nova Scotia the Honourable Michael L. MacDonald, Senator, revealed a Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque commemorating the national historic significance of golf course architect Stanley Thompson. From the press release:
"A pioneer of golf course design, Stanley Thompson used his exceptional sense of perspective to create visually outstanding courses," said Senator MacDonald. "We are very fortunate to have what some consider his very best design, the Highlands Links Golf Course, here in Cape Breton Highlands National Park."

The ST Society claims the courses at this link are ST's, but there's some debate about his role in number of these so here's a list from Ian Andrew of the courses he feels are likely pure ST. Although I only work with 5 Stanley Thompson designed courses, and have only visited 12 out of the 178(or145), I feel I have an average understanding of the principles and character of his designs, but perhaps from a different point of view than many. When I think of a Stanley Thompson course I think of a course that was built in the first third of the century, and because these courses were built relatively close to the population centers of their day, most are now fully surrounded by our urban centers. It's this characteristic that interests me, and even more so, I'm fascinated with the way superintendents have been able to preserve the "Thompson Integrity" while incorporating today's environmental standards and considerations. Here are a few quick examples...

Check out this link for an Environmental Case Study of Banff Springs from the American Society for Golf Course Architects.

This article covers the restoration of Dickinson Brooke in Fundy National Park Golf Course.


The Cutten Club in Guelph has established buffer-zones around all pond areas and has even reduced the amount of water used from the local Speed River by rerouting Guelph University's grey water run-off through the course and into irrigation reservoirs. This water carries a number of potential pollutants from roads and parking lots (hydro-carbons and road salt to say the least) but becomes filtered through the turf before being released into the local watershed.

Yes, putting up bird houses is relatively easy to do, and any course new or old should be doing it. An urban-locked course like Islington GC largely goes un-noticed by the community for their significant role in providing nesting cavities in an area of the city that is starving for trees, let alone ones with suitable nesting cavities. In the map below you'll see Islington GC, you'll notice how they (and other local ST courses like St.Georges and Lambton) provide crucial ecological infrastructure (Carbon Sequestration, Habitat Corridors, Green Space) to this area of Etobicoke/Toronto.

View Larger Map
First person account of Bigwin Island GC

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Green Gadgets: EcoGolf

Snazzy video describing basic eco-options for golfers, including Golf Carts, Golf Balls and Tees.

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Bearly Just Water Hazards in Whistler BC

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