Stewardship News A P U B L I C AT I O N O F A U D U B O N I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Volume 11, Issue 1 • January–March 2008
Greening Golf... Takes Initiative BY KEVIN A. FLETCHER, PH.D., AUDUBON INTERNATIONAL
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his past year, one of the most significant environmental reports ever released made its way through the Internet and news outlets of all types. Conclusions from the report are stark. Largely unnoticed by the public, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA Report) examines the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being. It involved the work of more than 1,300 experts worldwide over a four year period, and it provides the most comprehensive scientific appraisal of the condition and trends of the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide. In this document, there is now evidence that many of our ecosystems—the geological, physical, and biological systems that make up life on Earth—are in crisis. What does this have to do with golf? It’s simple. The businesses, landscapes, technology, and people tied to the game of golf touch 25 million Americans directly each year and
countless others through television coverage. We all have a role to play in solving this ecological crisis. A golf facility can serve as a model of sustainable resource and landscape management. Through our Golf & the Environment Initiative, originally launched three years ago, we are affecting change throughout the industry as a means to bring about broader change in the communities where golf operates (see Timeline: History of the Golf & the Environment Initiative). We each have played a role in creating this ecological crisis. We each can help to solve it—even on a golf course.
Water…The Ultimate Indicator One of the most significant and real ecological indicators to impact golf is water—its availability and quality. Communities throughout the United States and worldwide are struggling to find the right mix of policy and
practice to ensure clean and abundant water. This, the most critical of resources for life, is one of the areas of concern discussed in the MEA Report and is the focus area for our education efforts throughout 2008. For the golf community to flourish in the years to come the environment, specifically water quality and water conservation practices, must be the number one priority. For over fifteen years, the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP), and later, the Audubon Signature Programs for new developments, has emphasized water quality management and water conservation as two of the critical resource management issues. We know there are numerous practices and policies to employ that lead to less water use and cleaner water—as evidenced in the results of the more than 600 golf courses that have been certified in these programs continued on page 4
Water Leadership by Audubon International Members
Blue Springs Golf Club, Ontario, Canada
When examining water quality and water conservation efforts in a survey of our program members, 89% of golf courses who responded had improved their irrigation system or the way that water was applied to the site. As a result, these golf courses saved an estimated 1.9 million gallons of water per year per course since joining ACSP—totaling over 500 million gallons per year. Likewise, 86% of golf course managers and superintendents have increased efforts to monitor water quality.