We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Greening Your Game

Diane

Diane

_________________________
Joined
Jun 25, 2009
Messages
7,721
Reaction score
50
I have a favor to ask and JB said it would ok if I asked you guys. One of my friends is going to be the keynote speaker at the golf superintent's convention. She is a well-known expert on sustainability, but is not a golfer. She asked me if you would mind answering one or all of her questions. If you don't want to post your responses - feel free to PM them to me. Or PM me for my email. Thanks!
  1. How important is environmental stewardship to your golfing experience? Do you consider how natural resources were used? Would you choose a course based on their conservation measures? If so, what are your favorite courses?
  2. Golfing offers an incredible opportunity to be in nature. Can you describe your most meaningful golfing experience?
  3. If environmental issues are a concern to you, what steps do you personally take to green your game?
 
How important is environmental stewardship to your golfing experience? Do you consider how natural resources were used? Would you choose a course based on their conservation measures? If so, what are your favorite courses?

Their stance on environmental issues is of no importance to me. I choose a course based on its playability and conditioning. Whether or not they are good environmental stewards is beyond my scope of interest.

Golfing offers an incredible opportunity to be in nature. Can you describe your most meaningful golfing experience?

I have spent many late afternoons playing as the sky darkened and the night creatures began their chorus. The air cooled around me and my friends and I trudged ahead trying to finish before darkness overtook us.

If environmental issues are a concern to you, what steps do you personally take to green your game?

Most of the "green" community turn out to be doing more harm than good. A lot of the things they are focused on are wrong-headed. I believe the net effect of golf courses is the same as the "greenbelt" that many communities have established to make their development more appealing. The overall result is good for the environment. I know people complain about fertilizer, pesticide and water usage, but I believe the thriving green environment created for wild creatures outweighs the course's impact.
 
C-Tech said:
How important is environmental stewardship to your golfing experience? Do you consider how natural resources were used? Would you choose a course based on their conservation measures? If so, what are your favorite courses?

Their stance on environmental issues is of no importance to me. I choose a course based on its playability and conditioning. Whether or not they are good environmental stewards is beyond my scope of interest.

Golfing offers an incredible opportunity to be in nature. Can you describe your most meaningful golfing experience?

I have spent many late afternoons playing as the sky darkened and the night creatures began their chorus. The air cooled around me and my friends and I trudged ahead trying to finish before darkness overtook us.

If environmental issues are a concern to you, what steps do you personally take to green your game?

Most of the "green" community turn out to be doing more harm than good. A lot of the things they are focused on are wrong-headed. I believe the net effect of golf courses is the same as the "greenbelt" that many communities have established to make their development more appealing. The overall result is good for the environment. I know people complain about fertilizer, pesticide and water usage, but I believe the thriving green environment created for wild creatures outweighs the course's impact.
Click to expand...

I pretty much go along with this. It isn't my first priority. My home course doesn't do anything special to be "green", yet just by its existence it provides habitat for a great diversity of wildlife. The course is home to at least a couple of families of coyotes, foxes, rabbits all over the place, birds and raptors, numerous types of wading birds. Waterfowl, both resident and migratory, are in constant sight. A great many families of geese and ducks are raised on the course every year. I've even seen elk on the course, more than 2 miles outside of the mountains.

As I see it, most courses are green by nature, and are no more of an environmental problem than a farmer's fertilized, pesticide sprayed, and irrigated field.
 
C-Tech +1
 
C-Tech's pretty much hit it for me too. I am not really an environmentalist either and don't care if the course I play is eco-friendly.
 
Before going out on my own I was an EPA inspector for the Feds. Pollutants are pollutants even if they are legal to use. Golf courses can, and do pollute under ground, and above ground waters due to the chemicals they use to keep their grasses green, and growing. A necessary problem in itself. Perhaps some day some genius will develop fertilizers, and chemicals for golf courses that are also fit for human consumption. In a hundred years, maybe more, when our natural water supply is not drinkable, fishable, swimable, or otherwise unusable due all forms of pollution, what are our future family members going to say. Probably nothing because they are buying their potable water from a clean water plant. They would have not known anything different.

As for choosing a course, those courses who go the extra effort and provide the basic management practices to prevent pollution would get my business over those that don't.

Wildlife, and picturesque views are of a special interest to me when golfing. Clean air, free of smoke, and/or smog is another good thing I enjoy when golfing.

As far as "greening my game" I will pick up others' trash and debris when feasible, and I don't leave any of my own trash, and debris.

Side note. Yesterday I was at Desert Rose Golf at their driving range which has no grass in the landing area. Just dirt. I wanted to get some "windy" practice in. The wind was blowing hard enough to cause a white out of dust for several 1000s of feet off the gof course property. Anywhere else in town, the Clark County Dust Cops would have been all over the property owner, and issuing violations, and fines. But since this golf course property is own by Clark County, but managed buy others it was OK.:banghead:
 
Thanks - my friend has been reading and says your responses are very helpful. Anyone else?
 
I have a favor to ask and JB said it would ok if I asked you guys. One of my friends is going to be the keynote speaker at the golf superintent's convention. She is a well-known expert on sustainability, but is not a golfer. She asked me if you would mind answering one or all of her questions. If you don't want to post your responses - feel free to PM them to me. Or PM me for my email. Thanks!
  1. How important is environmental stewardship to your golfing experience? Do you consider how natural resources were used? Would you choose a course based on their conservation measures? If so, what are your favorite courses?

    It's not something I consider, frankly. The only thing I do not particularly like is when it is clear that significant areas have been clear-cut and replanted - I prefer older growth trees on the property. I won't choose a course based on their conservation measures, but I will choose not to play a course if they tout how "green" they are. Not all advertising works on all people, and advertising that you're "green" is typically a turn off for me.

    Golf course superintendents who are concerned about the long term viability of their courses will take appropriate measures to protect their environment, IMHO. Whether that makes them green, or just following EPA regulations, is open to debate.

  2. Golfing offers an incredible opportunity to be in nature. Can you describe your most meaningful golfing experience?

    Watching loons diving on St. Mary's Lake, Eveleth, MN.

  3. If environmental issues are a concern to you, what steps do you personally take to green your game?


    As mentioned above, environmental issues are not a primary concern of mine. However, some of the choices I make have positive environmental impacts - such as bringing water in a reusable container rather than buying bottled water or using disposable cups on every hole.
 
Diane said:
I have a favor to ask and JB said it would ok if I asked you guys. One of my friends is going to be the keynote speaker at the golf superintent's convention. She is a well-known expert on sustainability, but is not a golfer. She asked me if you would mind answering one or all of her questions. If you don't want to post your responses - feel free to PM them to me. Or PM me for my email. Thanks!
  1. How important is environmental stewardship to your golfing experience? Do you consider how natural resources were used? Would you choose a course based on their conservation measures? If so, what are your favorite courses?
    I would prefer to play courses that factor environmental stewardship in the design and maintenance of the course. More and more courses are doing this because not only is it good for the environment, but less expensive as well. Many courses in my area would probably not be considered environmental stewards. There is one, however, that has one numerous accolades and is a great golf course requiring every club in your bag and a great deal of course management: Widows Walk Golf Course
  2. Golfing offers an incredible opportunity to be in nature. Can you describe your most meaningful golfing experience?
    One of THE major reasons I enjoy being on the golf course is because of the nature. My most meaningful experience would be walking down the right side of the fairway one day. I looked to my right, and not ten feet away was a majestic, and quite large, hawk sitting on a tree stump, just looking at me. I was playing alone, there was no one behind me, so I sat down and we just stared at one another. Eventually he "screed" opened up his broad wings and flew off with understated elegance.
  3. If environmental issues are a concern to you, what steps do you personally take to green your game?
Click to expand...
I watch where I place my feet when I am in the woods, or any kind of hazard. I do not want to step on any little creature, or some delicate plants. If I feel the area is too "fragile" I won't go in at all.[/QUOTE]
 
Last edited:
Diane said:
  1. How important is environmental stewardship to your golfing experience? Do you consider how natural resources were used? Would you choose a course based on their conservation measures? If so, what are your favorite courses?
  2. Golfing offers an incredible opportunity to be in nature. Can you describe your most meaningful golfing experience?
  3. If environmental issues are a concern to you, what steps do you personally take to green your game?
Click to expand...

  1. It isn't. No. No. N/A
  2. I like the birdies, but have never had the joy of seeing an eagle yet.
  3. N/A.
 
My friend asked me thank those of you who responded - she incorporated some of what you said into her speech. She gave her first speech at her state golf superintendent's meeting and it was very well received. The national meeting is in 2010 and she plans to give a similar speech.
 
I'm glad she found it useful
 
This is probably too late but I got to say that nature to me is not a golf course. A golf course is a planed park created to play the game. It has to be maintained to actually keep nature from overtaking it. They are beautiful to our eyes and we get to play the greatest game ever on them but in no way are they natural. imo. As for how I chose one...I never consider how "green" it is. Just how much fun my money will buy. I'm an pro eco type... no tree hugger... but I don't see golf as part of that for me.
 
Not too late Blue Arc - the national convention isn't for a few months - it's in San Diego. I'll tell her to read the thread again. Thanks.
 
1. How important is environmental stewardship to your golfing experience? Do you consider how natural resources were used? Would you choose a course based on their conservation measures? If so, what are your favorite courses?

Environmental stewardship is important to me, but not in the sense that I buy in to all the hype of global warming and EPA doctronation. That's not to say everything they regulate is incorrect. What ever we put on the top will have an effect on nature. It's up to the courses to create a pleasing environment for us while not adversely effecting the environment. I don't think they can completely do that as yet, but they must use all due effort untill the proper products are available. It's also up to us to support those who do care about the water, animals and total environment.

2. Golfing offers an incredible opportunity to be in nature. Can you describe your most meaningful golfing experience? Over the years I have seen coyotes, deer, turkey, eagles and some very beautiful landscapes. The most meaninful would have to be a hilltop in Missouri watching deer down in the basin below us.

3. If environmental issues are a concern to you, what steps do you personally take to green your game?
I try to keep my trash collected and always pick up what I find. I consider myself an outdoor enthusiast, so yes it is important to keep thing green and alive.
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure if anyone is interested, but this is my friend who you helped out. She is a contributor on Oprah's website too.

Simran Sethi
 
I looked over her Bio and read a little of her information. Sounds like a very intelligent, informed individual and I would never disagree with her. However, what I and possibly many others face in these "Green" issues is confusion. For every Simran sethi out there, there's another highly intelligent person with statistics to back up the notion that our human carbon footprint is so small that we could not even begin to effect this world more than what God's own plants and animals do on a daily basis.

I'd love to know who's right. But, until these individuals agree to disagree with a purpose other than a political motive, we may never get the answer.

Hope that didn't come out as a rant, lol. Ask her how we prove this once and for all, or if thats even possible? It's kind of cool having a friend like that I bet!
 
Diane said:
I'm not sure if anyone is interested, but this is my friend who you helped out. She is a contributor on Oprah's website too.

Simran Sethi
Click to expand...

So that's your friend you told me about that lives in Lawrence.
 
Not only smart, but pretty.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top