Dr. Charles H Peacock NC State University

Dr. Charles H Peacock NC State University

Sustainability - It makes dollars and good sense It is good Public Relations Saves money in operations Increases revenue and profits Identifies you and your organization as leaders Provides free advertising and profiling Establishes a competitive advantage Saves money in new development and renovations Shapes the planning agenda in a pro-active manner Speeds up the planning process Unblocks planning obstacles Deflects unwarranted opposition Generates greater investor confidence Creates value

THE SUSTAINABLE CLUB S AGENDA Issues of resource consumption: Water; Energy. Issues of environmental protection and enhancement: Landscapes and ecosystems; Environmental quality. Issues of how your business interacts with other people and the environmental load of your buying decisions: People and communities; Products and supply chains.

WATER QUANTITY Water Use Efficiency Alternative Sources of Water Water Consumption

Water Use Efficiency Physical Practices Alteration of golf course design and/or installing or retrofitting of features or irrigation systems that provide long-term benefits at saving water. These include the installation of computer-controlled irrigation equipment or the retrofitting of irrigation components to make the system more efficient such as the use of partcircle irrigation heads. Behavioral Practices Changing individual water use habits so that water is used more efficiently through intelligent management in a systems approach.

Alternative Sources of Water Water Harvesting - This can be of several types including water storage using in-ground reservoirs, aboveground impoundments and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR). Most often for golf courses storage ponds are used to collect storm runoff water that might otherwise be lost and wasted.

Alternative Sources of Water Reclaimed Water - Use of tertiary treated effluent from municipal sewage treatment facilities. This recycled water provides moisture and nutrients to the golf course while helping the municipality avoid discharging the effluent water into nearby rivers. The turf does an excellent job of filtering the water of nutrients and breaking down various chemicals and biological contaminants in the water. Use of recycled water on golf courses is mandatory in some locales in the Southwestern US, and it is estimated that more than 1000 courses nationwide currently use this source of water. In Florida, this has been an extensively used routine practice for over 20 years for golf course irrigation.

Water Consumption USE LESS, RECYCLE MORE Accepted as an environmental issue for many years, efficient water use has become a significant economic issue for many golf businesses.

WATER QUALITY The use of a suite of Best Management Practices (BMPs) reduces concentrations of nutrients, oils and pesticide residues from surface runoff. The water leaving golf courses that utilize such design features is often cleaner than when it arrived. But for the majority of golf facilities there is the chance to do more. Golf courses can function as watersheds themselves, and should also function within larger natural watersheds. They are catchments for rainfall and surface runoff. They can move water to BMPs (e.g., swales, buffers, detention basins, wetlands) all of which help remove nutrients, oils and pesticide residues.

WATER QUALITY Given the direct link between water quality, biological diversity and safe drinking water, golf's role in the protection and enhancement of water quality should be a top priority for all facility managers and course designers. Without giving full attention to detail, it's possible that the development and operation of a golf course can negatively affect water quality characteristics when compared to undeveloped or previous site conditions. Through a combination of well trained staff, appropriate technology for treating waste water, and by harnessing the watershed potential of golf courses, all golf facilities can play a critical role in enhancing water quality.

Practical Methods to Protect and Enhance Water Quality Land Use BMPs These are engineering and structural approaches to directing golf course drainage to optimize the removal of runoff from playing surfaces, while not causing a drainage problem on adjacent hydrologically connected areas. Fortunately, golf courses provide large areas of turf available for infiltration of rainfall which decreases the amount of runoff from playing surfaces. Optimized drainage designs should not result in water quality degradation. In fact, many studies show turf in good condition generates very little runoff.

Land Use BMPs Best Management Practices Stormwater runoff should be directed away from sensitive areas (streams, shallow groundwater areas, wetlands, etc.) and into areas where ponding and infiltration can occur. Extensive roughs and natural (undisturbed) areas offer excellent stormwater management opportunities. BMPs should be both structural and non-structural and should be layered to provide redundancy. Greens and tees may need underdrains that are directed into areas suitable for storage and passive treatment. These underdrain systems help to protect groundwater from leachate. Runoff management from residential areas and clubhouses should be integrated with runoff control from the golf course itself. Specific features to be used may include berms, vegetative strips, grease traps and other structural or natural systems engineering BMPs.

Land Use BMPs Best Management Practices Reverse-grading of roughs and fairways away from ponds, wetlands, and streams on the course help to reduce the potential of algae and weed infestations in lakes. The overall drainage design should ensure that there is not an increase in the amount or velocity of off-site flows. Monitoring and maintenance should be emphasized particularly monitoring upstream and downstream from the course to determine if water quality changes are occurring due to the flow through the golf course.

Practical Methods to Protect and Enhance Water Quality Source Prevention BMPs These include the control of cultural practices which could introduce materials as a source of pollution to environmentally sensitive systems, particularly surface water and groundwater, through the use of a well designed and implemented environmental management system. These focus on eliminating the risks associated with any release of pollutants to the environment, avoiding shifts of pollutants from one medium (air, water or land) to another, and protecting natural resources for future generations, by cutting wastes and conserving resources.

Source Prevention BMPs Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Use of Biological Treatments IPM is a strategy for minimizing pesticide usage and reducing water quality problems associated with golf courses. Key tools of IPM include: prescriptive pest control on a management unit basis; use of pest-resistant turf grass cultivars; establishing populations of natural pest enemies; maintaining balanced turf grass ecosystems; use of competitive species which put weeds and pests at a disadvantage; use of traps and attractants; and careful irrigation and fertilization. Irrigation Management Proper irrigation is a key component of an IPM system. Irrigation system design should consider the water resource, need for reuse, drainage requirements and water quality issues. The irrigation practices should take into consideration the information collected from the resource inventories. Proper Use of Turfgrass Fertilizers Proper fertilization is a key component of IPM. Fertilizer for each management unit (MU) is based on soil and vegetation tests. Over-application of fertilizers can contaminate surface runoff and impact groundwater.

Source Prevention BMPs Landscape and Vegetative Practices Landscaping and vegetative practices can reduce stormwater runoff rates and volumes, sediment loads, and pollutants. A landscape and vegetation management plan should be established as part of the IPM plan. Turf Management Plan A turf management plan that considers irrigation, fertilization, IPM, and environmental constraints is vital to evaluate ongoing maintenance and operation. This BMP is well-established in the golf industry and can be an invaluable tool for public and environmental group education. Golf Course Lake Management Limit eutrophication by control of runoff from fertilized areas by measures such as buffer strips and reverse grading. Control eutrophication by in-lake management techniques. Maintain flow through ponds. Avoid sediment build-up. Source/Spill Controls Proper storage and handling of pesticides, fertilizers, fuel, and other maintenance chemicals helps to reduce pollutant loading. Establish and follow Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plans for maintenance facilities.

ENERGY LOW RESOURCE TURFGRASS The maintenance of turf is golf s most visible area of resource consumption, and as the game's principle playing surface, often covers large expanses of land.

LOW RESOURCE TURFGRASS Make the turfgrass area as small as possible Maintain grass species that are best adapted to soil and climate, that are the most drought, disease and wear tolerant Fertilize and water grasses just enough to keep them healthy. Avoid application of excess nutrients and watering as this weakens the plants Maximize the health of the plant - by reducing stress, managing wear, aerating the soil, managing thatch to an appropriate level and encouraging strong, deep rooted plants Set thresholds for pests and diseases Seek biological options to control pests and diseases Use the least persistent, least toxic and most effective chemicals to treat pests and diseases that can cause significant damage to playing surfaces Strive to target pesticide use on greens, and establish areas that are pesticide free Establish no spray zones around sensitive features such as water courses and wetlands Ensure all operators are well trained, all spraying equipment well calibrated, and applications best targeted for the desired purpose

ENERGY PASSIVE ENERGY DESIGN As energy prices rise, businesses the world over are recognizing the financial benefits of 'designing out' energy consumption.

PASSIVE ENERGY DESIGN It is possible to factor many, if not all, of the following design principles and technical solutions into both original and retrofitted design and construction: Using sunny sites to benefit from direct solar gain Using exposed sites to improve ventilation Shady areas to improve cooling Shelter to improve insulation Use of building materials with high thermal mass value to store and radiate daytime heat through the night Using extensions and / or conservatories to bring solar gain Enlarging windows and roof lights to increase natural light

ENERGY THE TRANSITION TO RENEWABLES Global energy use is transitioning from the rapidly diminishing supplies of traditional fossil fuel to clean and renewable sources.

THE TRANSITION TO RENEWABLES Switch to a green supplier - a grid energy supply based on renewables Transition all carts and service vehicles to electric or hybrid-electric and in some areas consider solar options. Install ground source heating and cooling systems Assess the viability of small scale wind, solar and photovoltaic installations Install a combined heat and power boiler

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Environmental Quality refers to the condition of the environment, particularly in relation to scientific parameters, but also taking into account its effect on our physical and mental wellbeing.

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Some of the key contributions golf developments can make to environmental quality include: The protection of urban and semi-urban greenspaces Acting as oxygen producers and cooling systems to counter urban heat island effects in towns and cities Bringing investment opportunities for brownfield and contaminated land regeneration Functioning as watersheds and providing attenuation, natural filtering and treatment of water Contributing to flood alleviation and carbon sequestration Creating access to greenspace for local people - golfing and other forms of passive recreation Managing runoff, erosion and conserving soil structure and biodiversity Providing wind breaks and creating micro climates

ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION Golf development can transform dirty, degraded, impoverished landscapes into biodiversity rich habitat - places that contribute to environmental quality and human health. From sand and gravel quarries, to landfills and superfund sites, to locations that have been used to deposit fill and other inert waste materials, golf development can be hugely successful at breathing life into landscapes and communities.

AIR, WATER AND SOIL Changes to any or all of these elements can result in longterm biological and chemical imbalances that affect the quality of the environment and people s lives. Air and water pollution have been the focus of greatest concern over recent decades, but there is now also considerable awareness around the importance of protecting soil quality - in particular soil fertility, structure and biological diversity. The bottom line is that the protection and enhancement of air, water and soil are essential components and indicators of sustainable living, and the goal for golf should be to improve the long-term quality of all three.

Golf courses and carbon balance