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XX / GOLFDIGEST.COM / month 2007 PHOTOGRAPHS BY / NAME HERE by John barton

In January 1995, 81 people got together in a conference room at Pebble Beach for three days to discuss what could be done to make golf more eco-friendly. Present were rep- resentatives from all the major golfing bodies, and all the leading national and local environmental groups, too. There had never been such a meeting before. “It was really difficult getting some people to come,” recalls Paul Parker, executive vice president of the Center for Resource Man- agement, which orchestrated the meeting. “Particularly from the golf-community side, there was a lot of suspicion about who these environmental people were, and why they kept criticizing golf. They felt that the environmentalists didn’t understand the game and had not made much of an effort to understand it. They saw these guys as the enemy.”

illustrationS BY / christoph niemann MAY 2008 / GOLFDIGEST.COM / “We really expected an explosive BY 2025, ABOUT 1.8 BILLION PEOPLE atmosphere,” says Ted Horton, who at the time was vice president of resource WILL BE LIVING IN CONDITIONS management for Pebble Beach, with OF ABSOLUTE WATER SCARCITY. responsibility for the whole property, including all the golf courses and 17 Mile Drive. “I had the job of welcoming the group on that first morning. My heart was in my throat. I thought, We being done about them, I interviewed stress. In America, demand for water could have some real fireworks here.” a variety of the leading thinkers grows while global warming has meant But the attendees talked. And who reside at the intersection of golf shrinking glaciers and mountain snow talked. And today, 13 years later, after and the environment: a golf-course levels (and thus less snowmelt to fill five national conferences and dozens architect, an anti-pesticide activist, an our streams and rivers and reservoirs), of smaller meetings and workshops, organic golf-course superintendent, a more evaporation of freshwater they’re still talking. Improvements have government regulator, a golf-course reserves and lower rainfall in some been made, reports, guidebooks and inspector, a turfgrass expert, an areas and even unexpected droughts educational videos have been published, environmentalist. We talked about (not to mention rising sea levels and the effort—which has become golf, where it has been and where it’s threatening some coastal courses—see known as the Golf & the Environment headed. The conversations were long page 207). There will be increasing Initiative—has allowed the game to and at times contradictory, complicated financial and regulatory pressures on claim that it’s cleaning up its act. and confusing. We spoke of water golf courses’ use of water, especially Wait, you say, hasn’t golf always tables, endocrine function, genetically in high-population desert areas where been green? Golf courses have trees engineered grass. Salamanders. shortages are acute, such as Las Vegas, and grass, critters; all kinds of nature The American chestnut. President one of the fastest growing cities in and stuff, right? What’s not to like? Bush. From the many hours of America (the population has tripled to Better than a strip mall or a parking transcribed tapes, plus plenty of other 1.7 million in the last 20 years, and by lot, surely. Yes, yes, of course. But the conversations, visits to obscure corners one estimate that figure might double fact is that before the 1995 meeting, of various libraries, and late-night by 2015). Recently the U.S. Geological there were serious issues surrounding sessions with Google, here are some Survey announced that demands on golf and its impact on the environment. of my conclusions about golf and the the aquifer beneath the Coachella And—despite much self-congratulatory environment: Valley in California—including from hyperbole from the golf industry 126 area golf courses—are so great that about environmental sensitivity, Golf in America in the past nine years, large parts of the sustainability and stewardship, and the will face a crisis valley have sunk more than a foot. obligatory eco-claims of every new golf over water. In the short term, golf has already resort—there are still plenty of serious There simply won’t be enough to go proved to be innovative in adapting problems today. There are issues about around for golf courses to continue to to the challenge of conserving water. where golf courses are built, about do what they’ve been doing (one report Some golf courses are using treated how they’re built, and especially about says U.S. courses each use on average effluent water or wastewater instead how they’re maintained. Golf could do 300,000 gallons a day). Water is going of drinkable water, irrigating smaller more. As Parker says: “There’s a terrific to have to be increasingly carefully areas of the property, irrigating more opportunity for golf and golf courses managed by everyone—some have efficiently and with better equipment, to demonstrate real environmental even described it as “the new oil.” By raising mowing heights, and using leadership. The attitude generally is, 2025, according to the United Nations new strains of grass that require yeah, we need to do some things to Environmental Programme’s 2007 dramatically less water. All of these avoid getting criticized. That’s where report, about 1.8 billion people in the things will continue. New courses the vision ends.” world will be living in conditions of in the desert will become rarer. The To find out more about these issues, absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds practice of overseeding fairways in the and how serious they are, and what’s of the planet will be subject to water South with cool-season grasses in the winter will become harder to justify, and less common. A lot of golf courses might disappear. NEW GOLF COURSES IN THE The pesticides that golf courses use, and the ones DESERT WILL BECOME RARER. that people throw on their MANY COURSES MIGHT DISAPPEAR. lawns, perhaps are not as

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / MAY 2008 safe as we blithely The RESIDUES OF SYNTHETIC assume them to be. To coin a phrase, there are known CHEMICALS ARE FOUND knowns when it comes to pesticides, IN HIGH CONCENTRATIONS AS but there are also an awful lot of unknown unknowns. Even if the FAR AWAY AS THE ARCTIC. superintendents at every one of America’s 16,000 courses are rigorous in applying pesticides sparingly and with extreme caution—and given the grass on a life-support system of too where we’re headed: back to the future. pressure they’re often under to deliver much water and toxic chemicals, But don’t take my word for any of unblemished, Augusta-like grass greens running at virtually unplayable this stuff. Read what these guys have to year-round, that’s unlikely—can we be speeds, ornamental flowers all over say—unfortunately they are all guys— sure these chemicals aren’t harmful? the place—will become less admired, and make up your own mind. Then There are many unanswered questions. and even stigmatized. It works for the log onto golfdigest.com/magazine/ Why are various diseases like autism, Masters, but that’s just one week a year environment and join the conversation. asthma and all kinds of cancers on at an extremely wealthy private club the rise? Why are Western men and that gets very little play (there are only women increasingly infertile? Why did 300 members, and the course is closed the my friend’s girlfriend’s dog get tongue all summer). It doesn’t work—and cancer and die? It’s not unreasonable isn’t desirable—at most other places. survey to think that exposure to synthetic The aspiration—obsession—to be like chemicals—some of whose residues Augusta has probably always had less to says . . . are found in high concentrations as do with the needs and wants of golfers, We wanted to know what America thinks far away as the Arctic—are to blame. who know that the game is all about about golf and the environment. After There’s a reason that, for instance, taking the rough with the smooth, and conducting attitude surveys in 1994 and 2002, in late 2007 Golf Digest did two pieces Connecticut recently banned pesticides more to do with the egos of golf-course of research, one with a sample of 350 golfers, from all school grounds (grades K owners, tournament directors and and another with a sample of 650 golfers through 8), and why more than 30 people who sit on greens committees. and nongolfers. The surveys were carried out states have some kind of pesticide As water becomes scarcer, as organic- via 12-minute telephone interviews—1,000 restriction on school property. There’s management practices increase, as of them in all. The highlights follow. The a reason golf-course superintendents environmentalism and environmental complete survey results can be found at dress like Power Rangers when they legislation start to bite more than they golfdigest.com/magazine/environment. spray the golf course. There’s a reason have, as the economy struggles, and as the organic movement is growing. we come to appreciate the aesthetics of ?Golf is an golf courses in all their many natural, environmentally Environmentalism beautiful hues, the way the game looks friendly/compatible isn’t going away. will change. And the way it plays will sport: As global warming increases, and change too, with firmer and faster turf common sense prevails, and the demanding a return to shotmaking, leaders of commerce and industry creativity, the bump-and-run. It’s % realize there’s a buck to be made by starting to happen already: The hot being green-minded (or, more often, courses are not dutiful apostles of pretending to be), environmentalism Augusta; they are unique, wild and is going to have large, growing and woolly-looking layouts like Bandon profound effects on all of our lives. Dunes, Sand Hills, Chambers Bay. golfers agree 9This figure has risen 1from 82% in a 1994 survey What does this mean for golf? Like the Americans increasingly love to visit fur coat and the SUV, the “Augusta the rugged, natural links of the British look”— freakishly green wall-to-wall Isles, where the game began. That’s %

The ‘AUGUSTA LOOK’ WILL INCREASINGLY BECOME LESS 6nongolfers6 agree ADMIRED, AND EVEN STIGMATIZED.

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / MAY 2008 is a shrine to his love of the game with all the pluses and minuses. There are a vast collection of books, clubs and some sites, when you do the analysis, golfing ephemera—Hurdzan spoke at you realize that it’s simply not worth length about his favorite topic: golf and the impact or cost of proceeding. Along the environment. certain seashores, for example. The permitting process occurs at Golf Digest: What is the case against three or four levels. Usually there’s a golf, environmentally speaking? local agency that has control— Mike Hurdzan: Opponents of golf sometimes it’s a county or a state, believe it’s an unnatural environment, sometimes it’s a city. There’s at least and that we use too much water, one state agency, which is generally the fertilizer, pesticides and fossil fuels to Department of Natural Resources, and maintain a plant material in an then the federal government has two unnatural state. agencies that are concerned with this. How valid are those claims? One is the Environmental Protection Unfortunately golf has become Agency, the other is the Army Corps something of a symbol of development, of Engineers. You start with the most so when people make the case against local agency, and then when you get golf, often what they’re really against is approvals from them it goes to the THE GOLF- development. But maybe 60 percent of next-higher agency, and it goes COURSE the criticism that we use too much through that process until everyone ARCHITECT water is probably valid—we could do is satisfied up and down the line. Mike Hurdzan, 64, is riding a cart along the edge of the third fairway at a deserted, wintry Scioto Golf Club in Columbus, Ohio, close to the house where Jack Nicklaus grew up. “When ‘IF YOU THINK A GOLF COURSE IS Jack played here as a kid, in the 1950s,” BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, ASK says Hurdzan, “the greens would have been at about a quarter of an inch; YOURSELF, COMPARED TO WHAT?’ today they’re a tenth of an inch. The fairways would have been three- quarters of an inch; now they’re less with a lot less water. The criticism It must be a very time- and money- than half an inch. Back then there regarding pesticides and fertilizer is consuming process. would have been fewer than 10 almost a nonissue now, because the Fifteen years ago we could go through maintenance staff; now there’s more amount of real contaminant that we that process in about two to three like 40.” The course has been closed put into the environment is really months. Now it takes two to three since July and won’t open again until small. The fossil-fuel issue, that’s still years. You used to spend a matter of May, after a full-blown modernization a 60-percent or 70-percent valid $10,000 or $20,000. Now it’s not by Hurdzan, with an assist from Jack. criticism. We’re using too much energy. uncommon to spend $500,000. Like Jack, Hurdzan went to Ohio But golf courses sequester a lot of With no guarantee it will be approved. State University. He studied turf carbon that reduces global warming; With no guarantee. management, then earned a master’s they provide oxygen and open space When there’s local opposition, what are degree in landscape architecture and wildlife habitat. If you think a golf the typical objections? and a doctorate in plant physiology. course is bad for the environment, ask Eight out of 10 times when I go to an Today he is one of the world’s pre- yourself, compared to what? environmental hearing, most of the eminent golf-course architects with What environmental hoops do you have people there are lay people who don’t an extraordinary and varied portfolio to jump through to get a golf course built have a scientific background. So they’re of golf courses to his name (see in America today? very easily swayed by someone who hurdzanfry.com), such as Widow’s All politics are local. And all says we’re going to put down chemicals Walk, where he took an abandoned environmental issues are local. What’s that will poison the water and the air sand and gravel quarry and garbage important to a community on this side and your children. There’s a lot of landfill south of Boston and, working of the river might not be important to misinformation. Ninety percent of the with environmentalists, transformed a community on the other side of the U.S. population doesn’t play golf and it into a thriving, environmentally river. Each site has its parameters. is easily influenced by all of the scare friendly public golf course. At Scioto, Before we even consider a golf course tactics. But when you boil it down to and later in his nearby office—which we usually do a site analysis, looking at the hard scientific evidence, there just

Portraits BY / kagan mc leod may 2008 / GOLFDIGEST.COM / environment, especially birds. It was one documented the effect of pesticides on the [Note: Silent Spring, published in 1962, and that started me thinking. Carson had just written went to school, Ohio State, Rachel us a better way to do things. When I better back then. Science has showed things are gone. We didn’t know any farm-grade fertilizers. Well, those all these heavy metals. We were using lead, arsenic, mercury; we were using the mid-’50s we were using cadmium, My dad was a teaching pro. Back in a little golf course where I grew up. greenkeeper in 1957, at Beacon Light, problems at all. I started as a proper use of pesticides presents no them, then they can be poisons. The causing us a problem, but if we abuse to get rid of these pests that are line, to treat a pesticide as a medicine and a poison—we’re trying to walk that It’s a very fine line between a medicine I do. They’ve got to be properly used. golf courses today are safe? D mines or quarries. products put onto the ground, old that have had a lot of petroleum been used for farming, industrial sites floodplain lands that have previously community. We can do that also with focus for the recreation of that Now it’s going to become the central junk. It would have become an eyesore. weeds and be a dumping ground for years. All it would have done is to grow any other use for the next 40, 60, 80 a piece of ground that couldn’t have and-putt. We’re building this facility on nine-hole par-3 course and a pitch- It’s going to be a big driving range, a the landfill and put a golf facility on it. abandoned landfill. We’re going to cap you flew right over it. It was an Columbus]. When you came in today, the end of the airport runway [in a little project on a landfill right at Very positive. Right now we’re doing impact—on degraded land, for instance. Golf can sometimes have a positive maintained. properly designed, constructed and course is a good environment if it’s who is not willing to accept that a golf is not a problem. I’ll refute anybody

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all secondary Credits • will go here • as shown 4 sensors in the soil that measure the area with less water. At Scioto, we have has improved. We can irrigate a bigger now is that the technology in irrigation and waste water. What’s happened and so we really started to overwater the capacity to deliver a lot of water, matic irrigation systems in, which had and ’70s we ’80s started putting auto sophisticated irrigation. Then in the Back in the we ’50s had much less of water golf courses use for irrigation? reconcile that with the massive amounts A S A worldwide. T lot of credit. a deserve better. They it do to started guys, you’ve got to do better. So we really woke us up and said, come on, who 1990s the in environmentalists cared until the 1990s. It was the one no honestly, And way? friendly we try to do this in a more eco- in the early I ’70s, was like, why don’t So when I started in golf architecture oriented. environmentally more even University of Vermont, which was America.] in movement environmental the starting century and is widely credited with kick- 20th the of books powerful most the of non be a on ? 6 g / tates in Georgia, here’s a great shortage of clean water,

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- panelists, “How would you The old definition asked ous course rankings. ing category used in our vari has redefined the Condition Course Architects, Golf Digest American Society of Golf of some members of the To do our part, at the urging grass might be less intense. Granted, the shade of turf for mowers used less often. volume pumps and less fuel lower electric bills for high- for putting. Less water means shots and smoother surfaces and provides more roll to tee less susceptible to diseases Drier turf is usually healthier, cut back on water usage. step for any golf course is to Experts tell us a smart first CO I C GOLF and green, be to going is grass the cle—there are times of the year when dead, it’s dormant. It’s a natural cy When that grass goes brown it’s not grass. green on played be must golf that perception the change to need golf course to the same extent. We We don’t need to maintain all of the use our water, to do more with less. judiciously more to ways find to need a lot of room for improvement. We There’s that. doing are States United the in courses golf the of percent 20 than less probably But freshwater. than rather consumption, human for fit isn’t that water effluent or water. We can use treated gray water high-tech grasses that require less adapted to that site. There are new, portant to choose a grass that’s well- rather than simply guessing. It’s im ings and base his irrigation on them superintendent can pull up those read computer, and at any given time the level. That information feeds back to a the four-inch level and the eight-inch moisture, temperature and salinity at TS HAN ND

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Clearly, we don’t look kindly urated bent. offer much more roll than sat off-green bent-grass fairways muda, for example, and lean, rolling than overseeded Ber fairways will be more firm and Non-overseeded Bermuda count all types of turfgrasses. golf shots. It takes into ac ate conditions on the basis of it easy for panelists to evalu less (but sensibly) and makes It rewards courses that water grass or the perfection of a lie. to do with the color of the played the course?” the greens on the date you how firm yet receptive were rolling were the fairways, and reads, “How fast, firm and course?” The new definition when you last played the tees, fairways and greens rate the playing quality of This definition has nothing

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- in winter in the What about the practice of overseeding to be played on green grass. has golf that rules the in say it does Nowhere game. fun a still it’s bad; so If there’s some brown grass, it’s not water. much as use to need won’t we happen, to that allow we if and brown, other times when it’s going to be Y So I think overseeding is going away. yes, but that’s a small amount of water. surface. You need to irrigate the greens, grass, it’s a perfectly good playing zoysia or paspalum instead of green winter and found dormant Bermuda or went to play golf in the South in the changing golfers’ attitudes. If people No. That’s a prime example of dormant grass that is not overseeded No. It’s dormant. It’ll heal. And damaged or killed? that gets a lot of traffic could be T resources. We’re seeing it happen. and it time-consuming uses too many Oh, yeah, absolutely. It’s costly, it’s ou do? here’s no argument that dormant grass -

- - - tioning. standard for course condi adopting our definition as a every club would benefit by gent cosmetics. We think bunkers. That’s overindul the rough or uniform lies in striped mowing patterns in Great conditioning is not with excellent drainage. tioning scores than courses tion) deserve lower condi rain (or after routine irriga easily drain after a normal fairways and greens don’t rewards that. Courses whose age, drainage, this definition chitecture is drainage, drain the first rule of good golf ar inclement weather? Because What about situations of ceptive to earn high points. They must be firm yet still re of concrete-hard greens. squishy, but we’re not in favor on greens that are thatchy or S outh?

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all secondary Credits • will go here • as shown will come back to life in the spring ‘IT WAS THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS faster than grass that has been overseeded—overseeding retards the in the 1990s WHO really WOKE re-establishment of the natural grasses. US UP AND SAID, COME ON GUYS, A lot of course owners in places like Las Vegas would say that if they didn’t YOU’VE GOT TO DO BETTER.’ overseed, their revenue would take a massive nose dive. I concur that that’s what most operators would say. If you asked too much, we lose some of its natural apply it twice or three times over the golfers 20 years ago if they would beauty. Take the natural beauty of a winter, but it’s relatively inexpensive, consider playing on a golf course that’s lovely Irish lass, for instance—if she and the impact is minimal. not all green, they would probably have puts too much makeup and jewelry on, Any other innovations? said no. But if you asked golfers today, some of the real beauty is masked. We’re going to keep developing better and explained that it’s saving millions When we make a golf course all one grasses that require less water, of gallons of water, they’d probably say, continuous sea of green, we lose some pesticide, fertilizer; that’s the trend. “Yeah, I would do that.” They’d say, of that natural variety. The best Seashore paspalum is the biggest “Well, you know it might not be as photographs of golf courses always miracle in the last 10 or 15 years. You green as I’d like, but it’s good enough, have lots of changes in color and can irrigate it with seawater, and it will and the game is still fun, and we saved texture and elevation; those are the do perfectly well in some climates. all that water.” You know, I’ve heard things that make courses visually People are going to figure out how to sociologists talk about the effect the interesting. When we water them and take this grass and start to grow it color green has on people. Some say mow them and make them verdant farther and farther north, so pretty that we’re just hardwired to appreciate green all over, they lose that texture. soon we might have paspalum growing green, back to the days of the savanna What about the practice of painting the in Maine. We’ve really just begun with when we were learning to walk on two dormant turf green instead of this stuff. We’re going to develop better legs. But I think that the American overseeding? non-synthetic pesticides that have a golfer is becoming more sophisticated It’s an old technique that’s coming more natural base. We’re going to see and recognizing that golf on firm, fast back. It’s a very good practice, very all sorts of other technological playing conditions is probably more intelligent. You use a dye that goes innovations. GPS-controlled mowers, enjoyable than playing on lush, green down into the leaf structure of the for instance, so golf courses can be conditions. It becomes a much more plant itself. Sometimes you have to mowed at night, without an operator. cerebral game—it isn’t just yard darts There are going to be a lot of changes. where you hit it out there and the ball You’ve said that you hope to see stops. Now you have to land the ball American golf courses achieve the same and think, OK, the ball’s going to release ?Golf courses should lack of environmental impact as they and run 30 yards; where do I want the use only enough water to had in 1920. What was the impact in ball to land? keep the grass alive, not those days, and is it possible to go back So you think golfers’ tastes are changing make it lush and green: to that? a little bit and getting away from the Yes, it is possible. We had very few or Augusta look? % no synthetic chemicals back then. The I definitely think that. The USGA, for golfers’ perception of the golf courses example, has taken such an interest in was much different. I think we can Erin Hills, a fescue course with bent- achieve the same playing conditions we grass greens that will have the playing have now but with the environmental conditions that you find in Great impact of the 1920s, and we’ll do it Britain. [Note: It was designed by the 4golfers a4gree with technology. Let’s say that golf in Hurdzan-Dana Fry partnership and Golf Old Tom Morris’ day was about as Digest’s Ron Whitten.] Previously USGA natural as could possibly be. There was events were always played on very % no environmental impact. So we’ll give highly manicured courses. Now they’re that a score of 100 out of 100. In the more inclined to go to a Shinnecock or 1920s it might have been at 80. In the a Newport or an Erin Hills, because 1950s and the 1960s, it might have they recognize that golf in those kinds been at about the 40 level. Now we’re of conditions is a better brand of golf. 5nongolfers6 agree heading back up again. We’re at the 70 I think that’s helping to shift the or 75 level now, and I think we’ll get emphasis. When we gussy up a course back up to that 80 or 90.

MAY 2008 / GOLFDIGEST.COM / Right. Through runoff and airborne EPA’s risk assessment, you might drift. The problem is, when you spray say, “Well, I don’t fit in with their pesticides, they tend to move off the assumptions because I golf a lot,” for target site. The U.S. Geological Survey example, or “I’m a kid who plays put out a report in 2006 that looked at golf.” In its Dursban risk assessment, waters and streams and lakes in the the EPA assumes that children do not U.S. and found pesticides everywhere play golf. they looked. The typical response you Really? get from superintendents is that It’s written right into the risk they’re using registered pesticide assessment. It defies logic, and it defies products, they’re using them in reality. Risk assessment is filled with compliance with the label, their these assumptions that are just pesticide applicators are trained and inaccurate and incomplete. It wasn’t certified, so what’s the problem? But until the 1996 Food Quality Protection there are clear deficiencies in the Act that EPA was required to look at regulatory process in evaluating the exposure to pesticides in combination. full body of health outcomes that Dursban, for instance, has food uses, in THE we’re concerned about. Endocrine agriculture, and non-food uses such as activist disruption, for instance. We ought to on golf courses, so you have dietary jay feldman, 54, is a co-founder have information on the impact of and nondietary exposure. Prior to the and the director of Beyond Pesticides pesticides on the endocrine system, adoption of this act, believe it or not, (beyondpesticides.org), a nonprofit and yet we don’t in the U.S. the agency did not add up exposures membership organization started in 1981 What are the consequences of endocrine from different sources. So if a kid was that “works with allies in protecting disruption? drinking a lot of juice, say, which kids public health and the environment to It changes the hormonal balance in the do, and playing a lot of golf, at the end lead the transition to a world free of toxic body and can affect disease outcomes of the day that kid is getting a high pesticides.” Feldman has been involved later in life, it can affect development, toxic load. So OK, now we’re adding up in the Golf & the Environment Initiative it can affect a range of organ exposures to a chemical, but we’re still from the beginning, attending that first development, developmental systems not looking at the synergistic effects of meeting at Pebble Beach and every that have an impact on illness, cancer, different chemicals in combination. summit since then. I interviewed him in reproductive effects, developmental And we know that combinations of his office in Washington, D.C., a few effects, sexual development. chemicals can cause greater risk. We blocks southeast of the U.S. Capitol. We And that’s not tested for? know, for instance, that if you’re taking drank bottled water. Feldman never Not tested for. The next generation of Tagamet, and you’re exposed to an drinks water from the tap. chemicals defy classical toxicological organophosphate pesticide, the models, which say that the dose makes potency of that organophosphate is Golf Digest: Would you say that golf- the poison. You’ll hear golf-course going to be higher. And the same thing course pesticide use in the United States superintendents say, “We’re using such happens between certain pesticides. today is not safe? minuscule amounts of these And the EPA knows this. We also know Jay Feldman: I would say that, yes. chemicals.” But endocrine disruption that pesticides can break down to other What in simple terms are the dangers? can happen at really low exposures. We toxic components, and the EPA doesn’t Pesticides pose health risks, both acute don’t even have the testing protocol to evaluate those breakdown products. and chronic, from common coldlike assess this low dose. [Note: For more on There are huge, unanswered questions. symptoms, nausea, dizziness, endocrine disruption, try the chilling, The bottom line is, the EPA should be headaches, rashes, to birth defects, classic book, Our Stolen Future—details the biggest proponent of the learning disabilities, infertility, at ourstolenfuture.org.] With pesticides, precautionary principle. They should leukemia, various cancers including we’re not just dealing with what we do be saying, “We’re doing the best we brain cancer, breast cancer, non- know, but also what we don’t know. can with the resources we have, but Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Asthma rates in The risk-assessment protocol is filled there are a lot of deficiencies in our the U.S. have skyrocketed, and there with wrong assumptions. One example process.” are studies linking asthma to pesticides is the story of chlorpyrifos, whose trade The Golf Course Superintendents that are widely used on golf courses. In name is Dursban, which was banned Association of America website (gcsaa all cases there are studies that link from household use in 2000 because of .org) says that pesticides are safe when pesticides to these effects. neurological effects. It had been widely used correctly, and that on average there And these things can happen to golfers used for insect control indoors and are 120 studies at a $50 million cost who are exposed directly and to people outdoors. But it’s still used in golf. And before approval for a pesticide is granted who live near golf courses? when you as an individual look at the by the EPA.

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / MAY 2008 Isle of Palms Charleston

Kiawah Island

20 mi.

Fort Myers West Palm Beach

Fort Lauderale Isle of Palms Miami Charleston

Kiawah Island

30 mi. 20 mi.

SCOTLAND SOUTH CAROLINA FLORIDA

Fort Myers West Palm Beach

Fort Carnoustie Isle of Palms Lauderale St. Andrews Charleston Miami

Kiawah Island

10 mi. 20 mi. 30 mi.

That’s an outdated statement, and it GLOBAL generalization. Others have The areas in orange above wasn’t even correct at the time it was WARMING: suggested more alarming show land that would be projections. A National affected by a sea-level rise made. I think the golf-course OUR COASTFort superintendents feel at some risk— IS UNDERMyers Science Foundation-funded of two meters. studyWest two years ago predicted they’re the ones delivering the toxic ATTACK Palm Beach chemical to the site and are therefore at There are more than a that if warming continues at protect the land is gone.” risk of litigation. They’re saying, “Look, thousand golf courses in the Fitsort current pace, a six-meter It might be happening Lauderale we’re doing what’s legal; we can’t be United States that can be rise in sea level by 2100 is already. The LinksCarnoustie Course at subject to litigation here.” Well, there’s considered “coastal.” More possible.Miami That kind of impact Wild Dunes inSt. Isle Andrew of Palms,s a Supreme Court case from 2005 called than half of them could would eliminate the bottom S.C., lost more than half of Bates v. Dow, where a bunch of peanut be gone by the end of this third of Florida, and very its 18th hole last fall. The growers in Texas sued Dow Chemical century because of global likely would submerge much one-time 501-yard par 5 is for crop failure. Dow maintained that warming. of the golf course property in now a 190-yard par 3. Wild Research that Golf Digest coastal30 mi.New Jersey, Maryland, Dunes’ 18th fell victim to the farmers were pre-empted by federal 10 mi. and state law that registered pesticides commissioned from the Virginia and the Carolinas. high tides, higher winds and as acceptable. The Supreme Court Longitudes Group, which (Of course, if that happens, tropical storms. basically said to Dow Chemical, “Sorry, provides geographical there’ll be much bigger issues Some scientists believe the guys, you don’t have protection from research focused on than golf.) warming of the Earth means the federal regulatory system in the recreational activities, “What happens is what an increase in the intensity of U.S.” There’s nothing in the world that suggests that of the 1,168 we call inundation,” says the kinds of storms that can should preclude litigation against the coastal courses less than two Robert Corell, global- damage shorelines. users or manufacturers of pesticides, meters above sea level, 645 change director at the H. “I call climate change the because we know full well that the would in part or in total be John Heinz III Center for cathedral problem,” says regulatory system can be deficient in so submerged if sea levels were Science, Economics and the Corell. “It took almost 200 many ways. to rise in the next century. CarnoustieEnvironment in Washington, years to build Notre Dame, So could you ever imagine a golfer Courses like those at KiawahSt. AndrewD.C. Inundations is the and it’s going to take that a n Island Golf Resort in South idea that low-lying areas kind of time scale for all of

o developing, say, cancer, and suing the iz Carolina, the TPC Sawgrass will suffer much greater us on Planet Earth to get our ar GCSAA, or the golf course where he or f o

she plays? Stadium Course in Florida damage because of soft-soil heads together and figure ty i Oh, yeah, I think any corporate entity is and Newport Country Club erosion. “If you draw a line out how we’re going to slow rs

opening itself up to liability when it in Rhode Island all could be from Miami10 mi. straight west, down the warming of our uses these chemicals. We’re exposed severely affected by a sea- everything south of there planet.” Mike Stachura eck/unive from a lot of different sources, however, level rise of two meters. is basically gone with one rp ve so it would be difficult to prove. But Though the conservative meter of sea-level rise,” says Want to know if your course o

nd yes, I think there will be cases in the projection from the Corell. “And a third to half is in jeopardy? A complete a

ss future. The Bates decision really opens Intergovernmental Panel of that is caused by this list and our study is online at up the liability issue. [Note: Feldman on Climate Change predicts inundation where the storms golfdigest.com/magazine/ ce: wei r goes on to detail the case of Liza Prior’s about a half-meter rise in come along and basically environment. There’s also u so action against a pesticide manufacturer. sea level before the turn erode and erode. It’s because a link to a National Science ap m Her husband, 30-year-old Naval Flight of the century, this is a the hard place that used to Foundation interactive map.

maps BY / l-dopa MAY 2008 / GOLFDIGEST.COM / following statement: “According to a ensure that golf courses are operated as ?Golfers should be study by University of Florida researchers community assets, especially from an willing to play on brown regarding exposure, they concluded environmental perspective.”] grass during periods that when used according to the label But golfers want to play courses in good of low rainfall: directions, pesticides approved for use on condition. What alternatives do golf-course turf are believed to NOT post superintendents have to pesticides? % a real health risk to either the workers What should they be doing? who apply the chemicals or to others who The easy answer is, organic practices. may come into contact with the chemicals Organic is still evolving in terms of after application, including golfers. One lawns and landscapes. In agriculture, of those Florida researchers, Dr. Chris it’s far ahead. The growth of the Borgert, a toxicologist, said, ‘Exposure organic agricultural sector in the last 7golfers4 agree to chemicals on the golf course under 10 years has been phenomenal. You’re normal circumstances is certainly not looking at a $20 billion-plus industry, something I would worry about.’ and we could see the same transition in % “GCSAA has never shied away from non-agricultural land management communicating its relationship with such as home lawn and garden and industry partners who produce golf- golf-course management. course-management products. These Pesticides have come a long way, companies provide funds that help enable however. us to deliver programs and services to Chemicals on the surface have gotten nongolfers agree 69 our members and the golf industry. less toxic as a general rule. We’ve gone Many of these programs are focused on to fewer bioaccumulative materials. environmental management. It behooves When pesticides were first introduced, Officer Lt. George Prior, played golf for us to work cooperatively with these the presumption was that there would three straight days in August 1982, manufacturers so that we can gather be no secondary effects. The theory was developed flu-like symptoms soon and distribute reliable and accurate that we could eliminate pests, increase afterward, then suffered a nightmarish information to our members. We believe food production, fight diseases, and rash across his body that essentially we have a healthy and appropriate that after they had performed their stripped away his skin. He suffered relationship that does not impact the positive function the pesticides would kidney failure and, after two weeks of impartiality or objectivity of our efforts dissipate and degrade in the intense pain, slipped into a coma and to distribute accurate information about environment. But these assumptions died. The case was settled out of court.] pesticides to our members. proved false. It became obvious that I don’t want to blame the GCSAA. “GCSAA, through its philanthropic the chemicals could bioaccumulate. But one of the problems we’ve had arm, The Environmental Institute They showed up in the food supply, with them is in fully disclosing that for Golf, is focused on ensuring golf ’s they can be responsible for long-term they take money from the chemical compatibility with the environment. chronic disease, they impact companies. The chemical companies Whether it is through funding scientific endangered species, and so on. The always have their hand in the trade research, delivering environmentally chemicals were not tested for these associations. So there tends to be this based education, communicating best- effects prior to their marketing. And alliance. They walk together in lock management practices, conducting that’s been the pattern ever since. step. And because of this, it becomes a environmental studies or developing Every time a new chemical is pro-pesticide industry. It’s because of environmentally directed programs and introduced, we say, “Oh my God, we’re the money, the flow of funds. Ask them services, the association is a leader in the finding residues of this stuff in the how much money they get from the golf industry. In addition, GCSAA has environment; it’s showing up in chemical companies. It’s an eye-opener developed strong relationships with state mothers’ milk—we didn’t expect that.” to golfers who just assume that they’re and federal environmental agencies to And then we move on to the next representing the interests of golf. Follow the money? Follow the money. [Note: The GCSAA, which partners with Golf Digest in the annual ‘There’S NOTHING IN THE WORLD Environmental Leaders in Golf awards program, was given the opportunity THAT SHOULD PRECLUDE to respond to Feldman’s comments. LITIGATION AGAINST THE USERS OR Greg Lyman, GCSAA director of environmental programs, provided the MANUFACTURERS OF PESTICIDES.’

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / mAY 2008 all secondary Credits • will go here • as shown PHOTOGRAPHS BY /

NAME HERE NAME m o n th 2007 2007 /

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/ XX chemical family. So the heavy metals ‘DO PEOPLE WANT TO ELIMINATE were replaced by the organochlorines, which were replaced by the organ- THIS UNKNOWN HAZARD, FOR ophosphates, and every time the same THEIR HEALTH, THEIR KIDS . . . THEIR claim is made: These are even better, they won’t show up anywhere, they COMMUNITY? THE ANSWER IS YES.’ don’t bioaccumulate in the environ- ment. But lo and behold, these chemicals are showing up in water. All the assumptions once again turn allows Dursban to be used on golf It’s a horrible phenomenon. It’s just set out not to be true. We’re constantly courses, so work backward from that.” up for failure. playing catch-up. So here we are now in Even William Ruckelshaus, the first [Note: Debra Edwards, Ph.D., director this realm of having newer and newer head of the EPA, said risk assessment of the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs, chemicals, and as new studies come out, is like a captured spy: You can get it to wrote in an e-mail to say that after we realize that we’ve introduced new say whatever you want it to say. reading Feldman’s comments, she was levels of danger, new complexities, and Has it become worse under the current “dismayed to find so many inaccuracies a whole host of effects that the EPA isn’t administration? and misleading statements.” She even looking for. Yes. The EPA could use its discretion to provided a lengthy rebuttal to his various If you don’t know what the danger is, you improve protection, but at every turn, criticisms, which can be found in the can’t test for it before you approve it. under this administration, it has used online version of this article at golfdigest Right. its discretion to implement the .com/magazine/environment.] You have no confidence in theEPA ’s minimum amount of protection. If the status quo is as dire as you portray regulation of pesticide use? Why is that? it, how will things change? None at all. You can go to the Because there’s tremendous pressure What we’re seeing now, what’s driving Government Accountability Office from chemical companies to maintain decision-making, is public concern. website (gao.gov) and type in the registrations of these products. It’s People are concerned about the envi- “pesticides,” and you can see the a very costly proposition to develop ronment, public health, global warm- history of the failure of the EPA. It’s all these chemicals. After a company has ing. They’re saying, “Look, we don’t very well documented. Their program invested in the development of a prod- want just strict compliance with the is poorly thought through, and it’s also uct, it’s going to invest a tremendous law. We want to go beyond that.” And politicized. The agency might be told, amount of money in lobbying for the that’s what they’re doing with their for instance, “We need an outcome that allowance of that product. A while back homes and their lawns, that’s what’s we tracked the number of former EPA happening in school buildings and officials now working for the industry playing fields where their children ?Government and its consulting firms in this town, are going to school. People are going regulation is a necessary and it’s fascinating. If you look at any down to their golf course and saying, approach in addressing chemical that’s being used on a golf “Hey, what are we doing here?” If environmental issues: course, and you look back to see who’s we’re asking golf-course superinten- lobbying that chemical for its registra- dents to drive this process in golf, tion and its re-registration, you’ll find we’re putting them in an unfair posi- % it’s some former EPA official. It’s so lu- tion. I find a lot of golf-course superin- crative—it’s like the brain drain where tendents are extremely receptive to people leave Third World countries to these issues and want to be creative in go to work in the West. The EPA’s pes- solving these problems and want to ticide program is like a Third World adopt better practices. But if the greens country. They all jump to the chemical committee is putting a lot of pressure 6golfers ag8ree companies. And when a chemical com- on the superintendent to create an pany sits across the table from the EPA, Augusta-like look, what’s he going to it’s a body of knowledge that so far sur- do? He’s an employee. His job is always % passes what is known within the on the line. Until we get the golfers agency that there is a fear on the part themselves to engage on this issue, we of the agency that it will be sued and cannot expect the right thing to hap- will be incapable of defending itself pen. We have to start talking about against a lawsuit. So there’s a tremen- this. We have to start realizing what non71golfers agree dous avoidance behavior going on the trade-offs are. Do people want to here, and in so doing the agency is eliminate this unknown hazard, for compromising public health and safety. their health, their kids, their family,

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / mAY 2008 their community? The answer is yes. Award and is the 2008 winner of the The general organic movement is very ?Is global President’s Award for Environmental large and growing, and it’s going to be warming a threat, Stewardship from the Golf Course more and more consumer-driven. The or a myth? Superintendents Association of marketplace is shifting so much more America. During a tour of the course, quickly than the regulatory side. This is in the clubhouse afterward, and over where the optimism comes in. % lunch at the restaurant inside the tiny Martha’s Vineyard airport, Carlson explained how he does it.

Golf Digest: So what’s the story of the 5THREAT / g9olfers agree Vineyard Golf Club—what was the local opposition, and how was it overcome? Jeff Carlson: It was very controversial to build a new golf course here. It was the % first new one on the island for 30 years. The opposition was very strong, and it was for primarily environmental reasons. Water quality is the big issue here. There’s a single-source aquifer for the whole island. They felt that any MYTH / golfers agree 41 pesticides would poison the water. Was that a legitimate concern? You know, it’s very hard with pesticides to say it isn’t. It’s like trying to prove a % negative. It’s a difficult thing to say. Pesticides have chemicals in them, and if the chemicals get into the water in certain concentrations, they can cause problems. Do they? No. They haven’t 73THREAT / NONgolfers agree been shown to do that. Golf-course THE GOLF- superintendents use very small COURSE amounts of pesticides. So generally, superintendent properly used, it’s virtually impossible On a bright, sharp December day, I am % to affect the groundwater, but standing with jeff carlson, 59, on “virtually” is not a 100-percent the 17th green at the Vineyard Golf guarantee. And that’s where the Club on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. The opponents were coming from. We had six-year-old course, designed by British trouble with that argument because we architects Donald Steel and Tom M27YTH / NONgolfers agree could never say categorically that a Mackenzie, is absolutely gorgeous, a pesticide would never get in the natural, fast-running, heathland layout (Note: Women are much more likely to take the groundwater in quantities that would that looks like the handiwork of Donald threat of global warming seriously than men—the cause a problem. We couldn’t Ross, or possibly Old Tom Morris. golf population is 85 percent male whereas the absolutely guarantee that, so they nongolf population is roughly 50-50.) What is truly remarkable about it, didn’t want it. Period. There wasn’t however, is that it’s America’s only going to be a lot of discussion about it. truly organic golf course. By decree The opposition was so strong that they from the Martha’s Vineyard County says as we inspect the putting surface. even wrote folk songs in opposition to Commission, no pesticides or synthetic “But that doesn’t necessarily mean the golf course. Even more outrageous, chemical treatments are allowed. visual perfection.” The rolling 17th they were allowed to sing them to the (Visitors, in fact, must have their golf green, by the way, looks perfect. kids in the schools on the island. shoes cleansed before a round to Before joining the Vineyard, Carlson Have you heard the songs? ensure that no weeds are tracked worked with Mike Hurdzan in building No, I haven’t. I would give anything to onto the course.) Carlson, the and managing Widow’s Walk (see hear a recording of them. But they superintendent, is the man who has to “The golf-course architect”). He was were basically, you know, “The new make that work. “Our mantra is, ‘We a recipient of a 2003 GCSAA/Golf Vineyard Golf Club is going to ruin the strive for excellent playability,’ ” he Digest Environmental Leaders in Golf world.” The opposition was very

MAY 2008 / GOLFDIGEST.COM / strong, emotional and passionate. ‘THE OPPOSITION WAS VERY Someone told us that we were deader than a snake in a wagon-wheel rut. STRONG. . . . SOMEONE TOLD US THAT The course was eventually given the go- WE WERE DEADER THAN A ahead by the Martha’s Vineyard County Commission, but only with several SNAKE IN A WAGON-WHEEL RUT.’ stringent conditions. Right. One of the biggest reasons that we were successful was that this land was permitted to be a 148-lot people I was going to listen to, because from having every piece of fairway subdivision. And I think they just I found out very rapidly there are an and rough perfectly green. The weighed the two things—148 houses awful lot of people who want to sell you members have to be on board, or the and all that that brings and demands of their magic potion. All the products are superintendent wouldn’t last too long. the town, versus a 100-percent organic new. And there’s a lot of stuff that Have the members been positive, or have golf course. There was a condition that hasn’t hit the market, because the there been some grumblings? we had to have 125 low-cost demand isn’t there yet. For instance, Oh, you have grumblings. That comes memberships for islanders. We have we have a white grub here, an oriental with the territory. But that’s where the our local high school golf team play beetle that gives us a lot of trouble. communication comes in. Generally here. We do charity events. We support There are nematodes—almost speaking, the club is hugely supportive. the community. The golf club has done microscopic worms—that are very I give these people a lot of credit. a lot to overcome the fears that this was effective against the white grub. They What is your biggest challenge? going to be a very cloistered, private, attack them from the inside and kill It’s evolved over six years. When I stay-away place. It’s very inclusive. And them. But not that many people are started, it was the fungus diseases that Martha’s Vineyard is a very inclusive relying on nematode applications to were the most problematic. With our kind of place. [Note: Vineyard Golf Club control white grubs—most would just cultural practices and the organic is private. The initiation fee for the club’s use a synthetic insecticide. So we get fungicides that we use, the disease 290 members is $350,000 with annual products at really early stages; we beg severity is a lot less than it was. We also dues of $12,000; the additional 125 for stuff to use on a trial basis, a lot of think—not proven, totally anecdotal— island members pay just $400 a year.] times before it’s been released. that there’s some natural selection How do you define an organic course? I imagined you were boiling up some big going on. We think the grasses are We need to get a set of guidelines and organic-compost soup to put on the golf beginning to adapt. It’s survival of the criteria for what organic golf really course, but you’re buying products. Are fittest—disease-resistant grasses means, and we’re working on it, but they made by the same people who occurring naturally. We’ve seen some basically it means no pesticides or make the traditional pesticides? areas over the years that have got really fertilizers or other products can be Yes. Everybody seems to be moving in hit hard with dollar-spot fungus one used whose active ingredient was that direction. Since 2002, when we year, then in subsequent years we don’t synthetically produced. opened, the number of products see it at all. We’ve seen it even in Did you have doubts that it could be available has greatly increased. There’s greens. Kind of interesting. done? a lot of movement toward lower use of By not spraying with traditional When the decision was made, I pesticides. I think the chemical synthetic fungicides, you’re saying that remember having a meeting with the companies are just looking ahead. perhaps you’re allowing the grass the owners, and I said, “You know, nobody What else do you have to do? chance to heal itself. An analogy would does this, organically, without The products are a big part of it. The be using penicillin constantly and pesticides. And I don’t want to lead you second part is cultural practices. For compromising your body’s natural astray.” And they were like, “Oh, that’s fungal diseases, for example, the big immune system. OK, we know you can do it.” And I issue is leaf wetness. I do whatever I It’s an interesting thought. Ten years said, “No, you’ve got to understand can to minimize the duration of leaf ago or so I remember hearing a story what I’m saying here: Nobody does it wetness. We don’t use that much about some bent-grass research plots this way.” But they would not be irrigation. We use wetting agents to where they were testing for various swayed. To be honest, I was worried remove dew, sand top-dressing on fungal diseases and different that I was setting myself up to fail. I greens; we whip greens and fairways fungicides. Then the research ended, had my doubts. [whisking away dew]. And the third and they closed the field down and just What do you have to do to keep the turf piece of the puzzle, as important as the let the plots go. They didn’t do in such good condition? other two, is communication, working anything to them for a year. And when For me it’s been a lot of trial and error with our members and explaining this they came back, all the plots where and a lot of experimentation. I decided idea of great playability versus visual they had been spraying fungicides had I was going to limit the number of perfection. We take the focus away dollar spot all over them like you can’t

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / mAY 2008 do I miss? I terribly miss the driving force. The women members ?Willingness to opportunity to be able to use an here are hugely supportive. They like play golf under less- insecticide occasionally. Right now I the idea that there are no pesticides. I manicured conditions would sell my soul for a one-time don’t mean to generalize, but you hear to minimize the use of application of a pre-emergent weed it enough here to make you think it’s a pesticides on the course: control. You could do it and not have to driving force. I think superintendents use it again for three or four years, and would like to use less pesticide if they % combine that with spot treatment could. They would be more than using organic products. I really believe willing to do it if they wouldn’t lose the future of golf is in a combination of their jobs from doing it. organic approaches and very limited The synthetic pesticides and fertilizers synthetic pesticide use. that golf courses conventionally use Do you know of any other golf courses in today, do you consider them to be safe? 6golfers a4gree America that are organic? Yeah, I do. With any pesticide, you can There are some that appear to be really run into trouble if it’s misused. You’ve close. But using only one pesticide got to be a licensed applicator, know believe. But there was a control plot occasionally isn’t organic. what you’re doing. There are some that during the research they didn’t do Like claiming to be a vegetarian even products out there where the test anything to. And when they came back, though you have the occasional results are of some concern. There the control plot was fine. cheeseburger. could be something out there that The ramifications of that would be huge. Right. So there don’t appear to be very we’re using that’s really bad. It doesn’t Yes, they would. many. Maybe less than 25 who appear that that’s the case. The testing OK, so you have grubs like the oriental subscribe to a really stiff regimen. is very elaborate. But a lot of people beetle, you have fungal diseases like You couldn’t do it in the South, right? take the same stance that our county dollar spot. What else? No. Or in the transition zone. But you did, and that is, if there’s any And then you have weeds. Weeds are a can find a balance between organic and possibility of any danger, they don’t problem. Weeds are tough. Today, there synthetic approaches. In general we want to use it. I can see why there’s is not a lot of organic product out there could use a lot less synthetic pesticide. some concern about some of this stuff. that can kill plants. An organic A whole lot less. We put down too This is a true story. Back when I selective herbicide that really works, I much, too often, in too many areas. first started we still had some heavy- haven’t come across. We’re using one Do you expect to see more organic golf metal-based fungicides. Cadmium- product that’s developed out of New courses in the future, for the number to based, mercury-based fungicides. I Zealand called Waipuna. It’s an grow from one? was at a little golf club, 1979, no longer environmentally friendly way to kill Well, I guess it could only go up. No, I exists. This was a small operation, no plants. It’s a machine that heats water guess it could go down. [Laughs.] Yeah, pesticide shed. I was mixing pesticides, to 5 degrees below boiling point and I think there’ll be more. There’ll be a lot a mercury-based powder, out back of then adds a wetting agent to create a of courses that will start using the clubhouse and right next to the foam. You put this hot foam out on the combinations of much lower amounts house that I lived in. It was just my weed with a machine that looks like a of synthetic pesticides coupled with wife, Kathy, and I; we’d just gotten carpet cleaner. The foam holds the heat more organic products and practices. married. My wife is a redhead, and she longer, and the heat kills the plant. It’s That’s definitely going to come. has a beautiful, thick head of hair. And time-consuming, it’s labor-intensive, Where is the impetus coming from in in the middle of the summer, her hair but it works. It kills a pretty high America toward more organic practices? started to fall out. Large pieces of it. percentage of the weeds on first Is it the golf-course owners, the And this had never happened before. application, in excess of 75 percent. superintendents or the golfers? And she was flipping out. So she went The benefit of it is that an hour after Interestingly enough, women members to the doctor, and they did a bunch of you’ve put it down, you can overseed, are beginning to become a bit of a blood tests, and they told her she had which you can’t do with herbicides. We’ll have grass in there within five to seven days. The only other way we handle weeds is to hand-pick them, which is very time-consuming. ‘RIGHT NOW I WOULD SELL MY How much easier would it make your life if you could use some synthetic products, SOUL FOR A ONE-TIME even sparingly? APPLICATION OF A PRE-EMERGENT Ah, well you know, if I could just use a couple of things once in a while. What WEED CONTROL.’

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / MAY 2008 ‘HER HAIR STARTED TO FALL D.C. Above us, on the wall, was a photograph of the snowcapped peak of OUT. LARGE PIECES OF IT. . . . the Matterhorn, taken by Wood on a AND SHE WAS FLIPPING OUT.’ long-ago vacation, before he started his career at the EPA, before anyone had heard of global warming.

Golf Digest: The EPA’s Wetlands heavy-metal poisoning. So I stopped they’d all be unemployed. Unless the Division—can you explain what it does? using that stuff. But most pesticides golfer begins to have a change of Robert Wood: We have a regulatory today are really quite safe. perception and begins to accept those program that’s co-administered with If they’re safe, why is there this move blemishes, and has that same mentality the Army Corps of Engineers, under toward using less of them? as when he goes to St. Andrews or the Clean Water Act. In essence, what it I guess because of that absolute— Hoylake, and accepts those conditions says is that if you’re going to be because we don’t know they’re and finds them charming and has a pushing dirt around, doing excavation, absolutely OK. Because I was told in great round of golf. Then you can do it. or putting fill material into any water— the 1970s that mercury-based The professionals and the tours and streams, ponds, rivers, wetlands, bays fungicides were safe. So, they were golf’s hierarchy have to embrace that, and so on—you have to get a permit. wrong. And maybe there are some too. The guys who are driving the bus. We have regulations that require pesticides out there that aren’t good. avoidance and minimization of impact Insecticides do kill fish. Anything that to water. Where the impact can’t be kills something, in the wrong avoided, you still have a right to concentration, can be a problem. You develop that piece of property through never know. So if you can use less, it’s what is called compensatory got to be better. The reality is, that’s the mitigation: In simple terms, if you’re way things are going. Plus I’m just so going to eliminate an acre of wetlands, surprised that so much of our golf you’ll have to create maybe two or course is unaffected by not using three acres of new wetlands, depending pesticides. To see a course without any on the circumstances. The overall goal at all is something I’m really proud of. under this regulatory program is to What kind of pressure do have no net loss of wetlands and superintendents experience? aquatic resources in the U.S. The pressure is to produce Augusta- Suppose I’m an evil developer. I’ve got a like conditions no matter where you piece of land and want to build a golf are. When we first started getting insect course on it, but there’s a wetland area damage and disease, we measured the right in the middle. And I decide, you extent of the problem on one tee and know what, it’s my land, I’m going to fill found that 98.8 percent of the tee was it in. What happens next? perfect. But if you looked at this tee, There are several avenues for you’d fire the superintendent. So this is THE what we’re working with. The level of regulator expectation is extraordinary now. Since 1970, the Environmental ?Willingness to Does that work against the organic Protection Agency (epa.gov) has been sacrifice some level of movement? The superintendent thinks, responsible for the health of Americans golf-course landscape You know what, my job’s on the line, I and the land, air and waters that “perfection” to don’t care, I’m going to use as much surround us, by developing and save water/prevent pesticide as I can. enforcing regulations, performing and groundwater pollution: Absolutely. The movement gains funding research, and conducting momentum only if the golfers support education and other outreach it. Superintendents would be totally programs. Among the agency’s 17,000 % supportive of it. I’ve noticed a employees is robert wood, 45, the tremendous interest in managing golf deputy director of the Wetlands courses more organically, especially Division, the EPA’s representative in among younger superintendents. the Golf & the Environment Initiative, They’d do a great job. The golf courses and an 18-handicap golfer. We met in golfers agree would be terrific, but they’d have some his office in the vast EPA building on 85 visual blemishes. Well, right now Constitution Avenue in Washington,

MAY 2008 / GOLFDIGEST.COM / enforcement. Typically the first line of ‘wetlands are the unique inquiry is going to be at the local level—the county or the city. Somebody habitat for something might see that this has happened and like 30 percent of call their local EPA. It would not be uncommon for an EPA inspector to go all endangered specieS.’ out and have a look and make a determination about whether to pursue a case. Then there’s a series of steps that could result in civil penalties or have been a few examples where folks That’s right. People are not thinking criminal prosecution. It’s not real have done jail time. about salamanders or vegetation in a common, but it does happen, and there So there have been cases of golf wetland. They’re critically important as developers going to jail for this? a habitat. And they’re critically I’ve never heard of a golf developer important as a filter: We build all this doing jail time, but I have heard of land infrastructure to keep water clean, and ?For those who developers, housing developers, so it is wetlands provide very much that same accept global possible. But it’s not the norm, and not kind of cleansing capacity in a natural warming, is it man- the goal. The system is not designed to way. And they provide a buffering made, or natural? throw people in jail, it’s designed to capacity for storm events. We saw this achieve compliance. very much with the Katrina and Rita Would the same thing apply to pesticide storms in the Gulf of Mexico. % use? If I’m a superintendent under a lot Is there a figure for the size ofA merica’s of pressure, and my golf course has got wetlands? A lot of the wetlands have some insect problem, and I decide to use disappeared. more pesticide than what is allowed, or I The first statistical wetlands status- get some stronger stuff from the farmer and-trends report in 1983 estimated 5man-made /2 golfers agree down the road, who’s to know? the rate of wetland loss from the mid- Undoubtedly that happens from time 1950s to the mid-1970s at 458,000 to time. One obvious way that’s going acres per year. Wetlands then were to be discovered is when something largely thought of as a hindrance to % bad happens. A worker health-and- development. In the 1991 report, which safety issue emerges, or something covered the mid-1970s to the mid- happens to a local waterway. 1980s, we were still losing wetlands, Three-headed frogs start appearing. but the rate had declined to 290,000 Right. Or there might be somebody acres a year. The third report, from ’86 natural / golfers agree who is paying attention and sees that a to ’97, indicated that the rate of loss 48 practice that’s not permissible is going was down to 58,500 acres per year. on. There might be a referral from Now the 2006 report, which covers somebody observing it. But the EPA’s 1998 to 2004, shows that the wetland % pesticide program is not my area. area actually increased by an average of OK, back to the wetlands. Why does it 32,000 acres per year. This was the first matter? Why shouldn’t I be able to fill in report to show that we were in a period the wetland on my golf-course project? of increasing wetlands. There was, Wetlands are a vital part of any aquatic however, some issue with this report ecosystem. They provide habitat to a over how wetlands were defined. 6man-made 6/ NONgolfers agree wide range of wildlife from fish, [Note: The report states that the total shellfish, all the way down to insect area of wetlands in the U.S. in 2004 communities. Wetlands are the unique was 107.7 million acres. Wood goes on % habitat for something like 30 percent to explain that the claim of wetlands of all endangered species, and 50 growth has been contested. A New York percent of endangered species spend at Times story, for instance, explains that least part of their life cycle in wetlands. over the study period, 523,500 acres They’re very ecologically rich. of true wetlands, swamps and tidal To most people, endangered species are marshes were lost, but this was offset in 34natural / NONgolfers agree things like snow leopards and elephants, the report by gains of 715,300 acres of but there are more than 1,000 ponds, including man-made ornamental endangered species in the U.S. alone. ponds—hardly a fair trade.]

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/ XX To some golfers, wetlands and wild areas who earned a golf scholarship to are just a nuisance, places where you’re Oakland City University in Indiana, going to lose your ball. They’d rather see Dodson now plays to a 10-handicap. the golf course mowed from fence line to The first meeting with Dodson, fence line. What do you say to them? at the organization’s headquarters When you provide a bit of education, in upstate New York, had to be you can get a very different answer. canceled because of a snowstorm. You can say, for example, that not The rescheduled meeting had to be mowing certain areas is better for canceled, too, because Dodson, 59, wildlife, better for water quality and went for a physical and was told allows native vegetation to thrive and he had to have a quadruple-bypass maybe prevents an invasive species operation. Eventually, six weeks later, from moving in. It might change the the interview was conducted over the look of the course a little bit and the phone, with Dodson speaking from his way it plays a little bit, maybe not. I’m home in Albany, N.Y., where he was a golfer, and to me what’s intrinsically recuperating from the operation. attractive about the game is that you are essentially in a natural setting. And Golf Digest: So how are you feeling? it’s the restrictions and unique features Ronald Dodson: I’m great. I felt great of that natural setting that make a THE before the operation, and I feel great particular course challenging, one that advocate now. Everything’s fine. you like and remember and want to go ronald g. dodson has been That’s good. OK, let’s talk about back to. That’s been a design principle president of Audubon International Audubon International. What do clubs of golf courses from the beginning. It’s (auduboninternational.org) since he have to do to get certified? What is the part of the game. founded it in 1987. The organization process? The best golf courses look as if they’ve has nothing to do with birds, nor the When a golf course joins our program, emerged from the landscape rather than prestigious National Audubon Society, if it starts the certification process, it having been imposed upon it, like those which Dodson worked for in the 1980s usually takes two to three years for it to wall-to-wall bright-green courses in the as a regional vice president. (Dodson go through all the paperwork, get middle of the desert. now has harsh words for his former everything in place and get to the final Exactly. You go to the southern employer—as you will see, his audit. Essentially there are six Arizona desert—which is truly a criticisms are strenuously denied by categories that we try to focus people’s unique landscape; there’s nothing National Audubon.) Dodson says that attention on. It starts with the course else like it on earth—and I’ve seen roughly 75 percent of Audubon developing an environmental plan, courses there where they’ve tried to International’s work is golf-related: and the first step of that process is maintain much of that, and really It’s best known for its Audubon doing an inventory—what kind of work with it, and to me that’s a far Cooperative Sanctuary program, which golf course is it, how many acres of more interesting course. One of the certifies golf courses for their eco- turf, what kind of turf, water features influential landscape architects of the friendly practices, and its more and so on. The other categories are last century was Ian McHarg, who involved Audubon Signature Program water conservation; water quality was a professor at the University of for new developments. Dodson, a management; wildlife and habitat Pennsylvania. He came out with a former schoolteacher, has worked in enhancement; chemical use, reduction book in 1969 called Design with the environmental field for more than and safety; outreach and education. Nature. The audience was really urban 30 years. (He has also, according to his Golf courses can get certificates for planners and landscape architects, website’s bio, amassed “a huge number each of those six categories, and then but it applies to golf courses, too. of frequent-flier miles”—an odd boast they can become a certified Audubon It’s the tradition of the game, and for the leader of an environmental Cooperative Sanctuary. They have to we’re rediscovering that tradition. organization.) A former scratch golfer get recertified every two years. How much does it cost? It’s $200 per year for a course in the U.S. and $250 for anywhere else in the ‘FROM WHAT I KNOW ABOUT world to join the program. There’s no additional cost for getting certified. We AUGUSTA NATIONAL, IT’S don’t want people to use money as an REALLY A TELEVISION STUDIO, excuse not to do this. [Note: The Audubon Signature Program, where the NOT A GOLF COURSE.’ organization gets heavily involved in the

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / mAY 2008 planning and development of new golf- ‘IT’S NO LONGER SOME CUTE, NICE course projects, is more expensive, with fees starting at $9,500.] THING TO BE ENVIRONMENTALLY Would Augusta National pass the test? FRIENDLY. . . . IT BECOMES PART Well, I don’t know. I’ve never been there, and I’d like to go sometime. OF THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS.’ From what I know about Augusta National, it’s really a television studio, not a golf course. It’s open only about six months of the year. So I don’t know get some good PR out of that, then sanctuary systems in the world, but that they’re really doing that bad that’s great. We want to motivate other over the last several years they’ve given environmentally when you look at the people. The PR part, I’m fine with that. off their sanctuaries to a lot of the other course for a whole year. Your organization carries the name Audubon groups. [Note: National How many have signed up to the Audubon. [Note: John James Audubon, Audubon says: “Since Mr. Dodson’s Sanctuary Program? the famous ornithologist, naturalist, departure in 1987, Audubon sanctuaries, We’ve got more than 2,300 courses in painter, was born in Haiti in 1785.] But it centers or other conservation properties the program, and 755 of those are has nothing to do with the National have increased from 87,900 acres in 70 certified worldwide—622 in the U.S. Audubon Society, the environmental different locations to 101,300 acres in 114 The vast majority of the members that organization that has been around since locations.”] So in my opinion, mostly we have join the program and either 1905. Doesn’t that mislead the public? National Audubon takes credit for start the certification process and then The public is confused over that whole work that other Audubon groups are stop or just never start. They pay their movement anyway. You know, there are doing. And they put out a magazine. membership fee and they get our 550 Audubon Societies in the United But it is nevertheless the most well- newsletters. Some of them we happen States. They’re all separate from one known Audubon organization, right? to know are doing really good things, another; they all have their own boards Yeah. They put a lot of their $40 but they just don’t fill out all the and directors. [Note: National Audubon million into PR. paperwork and documentation that says that 491 of these Audubon How can there be 550 Audubon you need to do to get certified. organizations are in fact National organizations? Is there no trademark Are you disappointed in those numbers? Audubon Society chapters.] The history protection of the Audubon name? Could Well you know, I asked the USGA guys of the Audubon movement from the anybody use that name? several years ago how they felt we were very beginning has always been Yeah. It’s public domain. [Note: doing since they’ve always been a separate local, state and regional National Audubon disputes this.] sponsor of our program; they support groups. Our group was incorporated in So I could set up the Audubon Pesticide what we do. And they kind of said, no, 1987, but it was originally founded in Company, for example, if I wanted to. you know, we think you’re doing pretty 1897 as the Audubon Society of New Oh, yeah. And there probably is one. I well. They thought that we were where York State. That’s our real name. So we lived in Henderson, Ky., for several we ought to be. Now, of course, we were created originally before National years before I moved up here, and there think we ought to have all the courses Audubon was. A lot of people think were I think 30 different companies in America. We’re certainly not that the National Audubon Society is named Audubon there. And Henderson satisfied. We’d like to have more. kind of the parent Audubon group, and is only a 20,000-person place. [Note: Because part of your funding comes from everybody else is somehow subservient John James Audubon lived in Henderson the USGA and golf companies, there’s a to them, but that’s not true. National during his 20s and 30s.] There was an perception that you’re largely just Audubon in the past has used that to Audubon Chrysler automobile performing a PR function for the golf belittle what we do and our approach. dealership. There was a company there industry. How do you respond to that? And the reason they do it is they have that made women’s panties, pantyhose, The USGA is the governing body of to raise about $40 million a year to Audubon Hosiery. golf, and to have their support, to have keep their bureaucracy funded. We [Note: Philip Kavits, the National them promoting the idea of golf don’t try to raise $40 million a year to Audubon Society’s vice president and courses getting involved and joining keep a bureaucracy going. It basically chief communications & marketing with us, is very important. We comes down to that. It’s money. officer, was given the opportunity to know—at least we believe—that our But they’re not just a bureaucracy. They respond to what he called Dodson’s program is credible. We know that the obviously do some good work as well. “very misleading statements,” which EPA thinks it’s credible—they’ve given Well, I think they used to, when I he said unfairly characterized National us awards and recognition for what we worked for them. Audubon. He offered a statement about do. We’re not ashamed of what we do. But not anymore? the work of National Audubon—whose And if golf courses practice what we They put out a magazine. They used to mission for more than a century has would like them to practice, and they have one of the oldest and largest been “to conserve and restore natural

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / mAY 2008 ecosystems, focusing on birds, other no longer some cute, nice thing to be management.” Among its activities is wildlife and their habitats”—including environmentally friendly, or something the funding of all kinds of turfgrass- many examples of recent achievements, that we do every once in a while. It related research, including the creation and a rebuttal of Dodson’s claims, point becomes part of the way we do of better, more eco-friendly golf-course by point. This can all be found in the business. The golf-course industry has grasses and maintenance practices. online version of this story at golfdigest an opportunity to be the leader. If they Since 1983, more than 370 projects .com/magazine/environment. Kavits do it the right way, they could be have been supported at a cost to the added that a visit to the organization’s motivators for people who build USGA of $27 million. (You can find website, audubon.org, “will give your shopping malls and parking lots and summaries of all the projects online, readers a much more complete picture of subdivisions. including such headliners as “Inter- our activities and successes.”] preting and forecasting phenology of You often hear of ski resorts with their the annual bluegrass weevil in golf- own wind turbines, solar panels that course landscapes.”) Such matters power the chairlifts, energy-efficient were discussed at length in a meeting trail-grooming machines. The Aspen room in the Green Section, whose walls Skiing Company was the first resort were lined with tomes about grass. of any kind to join the Chicago Climate Through the window, we could see the Exchange [a leading carbon-trading real thing. organization—chicagoclimatex.com]. Why do you never hear of these things Golf Digest: Let’s start with a basic in golf? primer on the grasses used on golf There are a lot of golf courses that are courses. doing things with maintenance James Snow: The United States is a equipment, golf carts, energy efficiency. huge geographic area with all kinds of But for some reason they don’t talk climatic conditions. In the northern about it very much. parts of the country, golf courses use Are you aware of any golf courses that cool-season grass, mostly creeping bent have their own wind turbine? grass for their fairways and greens. You I don’t know of any. THE also end up with annual bluegrass just What about solar panels on the grass about everywhere, with Kentucky clubhouse roof? expert bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and fine Yep, I think there are several of them in The Green Section is the least-loved fescues in the roughs. In the South, you the Southwest that have solar units on resident of the U.S. Golf Association’s get the warm-season grasses—it’s the roof, and they actually sell power headquarters at Golf House in Far going to be Bermuda, primarily, but back to the utility. [Note: Any golf Hills, N.J. “Everyone’s much more in- people do use zoysia as well. These are courses with wind turbines or solar panels terested in equipment, or the rules, or very good for that part of the country, are invited to e-mail john.barton@ the U.S. Open,” says the department’s but in the winter they go dormant and golfdigest.com and tell us about it.] national director, james t. snow, 56. look deader than a doornail, and Maybe the ski-industry people have “But what’s more important than the people don’t like that. And then in the come together, and they’re talking surface that we play the game on?” middle of the country is what we call about things that they can do at their The Green Section, founded in 1920, is the transition zone, where warm- individual operations that collectively designed to make sure that surface is season grasses don’t do that great, and make a difference. I don’t know that the as good as possible. According to the the northern grasses don’t do that golf-course industry has done that yet. USGA website (usga.org), the Green great, either, so you have to work hard The only way we’re all going to make a Section “remains the nation’s chief au- to make it work. So let’s say overall, 40 difference, long term, is if this becomes thority regarding impartial, authorita- percent of America’s fairways might be part of the free enterprise system. So it’s tive information for turfgrass bent grass, 40 percent Bermuda grass, with the rest being various other grasses. Greens, more like 70 percent might be bent grass. You’ll find a lot of courses with bent-grass greens as you ‘IN THE U.K., THE Problems are go farther South into that transition zone, but it can be a difficult grass to minor. TheY HAVE THE RIGHT grow in the summer in those areas. CLIMATE. . . . Well, GEEZ! GOSH. Augusta has bent-grass greens. Why do courses in the British Isles, even WE’RE JEALOUS.’ the best, big-name famous ones, have

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / MAY 2008 tiny maintenance budgets and staffs ‘all you had to do back in the compared to America? It’s climate. It’s about having weather 1960s was put chlordane on the that’s conducive to growing grass. I greens and you wouldn’t have spent some time in the U.K. in 1992, when the Open was at Muirfield. The an insect problem for 25 years.’ greens were spectacular, and the fairways were just as tight as they could be. And I said, “Well, where’s the irrigation system?” And they said, “Oh, this way for a reason. If you don’t give have to use in those areas, and you we don’t have an irrigation system.” people what they want, they’re not hardly have to use any pesticides. And I said, “For crying out loud!” In going to buy it. That’s pretty good. When the time the U.K. the problems are minor. They What about the practice of painting the comes, when water truly becomes a have the right climate, they don’t have Bermuda grass instead of overseeding? major issue—and it is in some parts of the problems we have with weeds, with It’s gaining momentum. It doesn’t the country already—that’s when we’ll insects, with disease, and they don’t solve the problem, but as long as you switch to these new grasses. There are even have to irrigate their fairways. don’t have a huge amount of play, you constant incremental improvements. Well, geez! Gosh. We’re jealous. The can get by with it without damaging Salt tolerance, heat tolerance, cold British guys were always telling us that the Bermuda grass. A public course tolerance, disease, insect tolerance— we use too much water and too much that has 80,000 or 90,000 rounds a they’re working on these all the time. pesticide, and I always felt kind of year couldn’t do it. But a private club They’re producing a lot of great new guilty until I saw Muirfield. I don’t feel that gets 20,000 or 30,000 rounds a grass products. And there are new guilty anymore. Give me a break! You year, you could do it. It’s a lot cheaper. turfgrass diseases every single year. guys complaining about us? If we How have golf-course grasses changed You’ve got to keep on it or you’ll fall didn’t have irrigation, we’d have over time? How are they changing now? behind, and if you fall behind you’ll nothing; we’d be playing on crabgrass Well, 100 years ago, golf was all in the have a lot of dead grass. and goosegrass. Nobody would play North. There was almost nothing in the Mostly fungal diseases? golf in the southern United States—all South. Then Dr. Glenn Burton in Yeah. And the other thing is, as soon as those aggressive warm-season weeds Georgia developed the first really good you get an improvement, golfers are just horrible; if you didn’t spray, Bermuda grasses for fairways and demand more. They want faster, more you’d have nothing but junk. There are roughs and even greens, in the ’50s. uniform, darker green. It never ends. a lot of low-budget golf courses in the When I joined the USGA in 1976, Courses used to mow at a quarter of an northern United States, but even there everyone was talking about Penncross. inch; now we’re down to a tenth of we have pest problems that you don’t It was the only bent grass anyone was inch. Every time you take it down, the have in the U.K., all kinds of grubs: using. But by 1980 there were new poor grass gets weaker and weaker and Japanese beetle grubs, oriental beetles, grasses that were better than weaker, and more susceptible to a host of them that’ll eat the roots of Penncross. So every decade has its disease—probably a lot of the new the grass and can kill the fairways. innovations. Today there are a lot of diseases have come about because of How controversial is the practice of golf new strains and new species that are that. It’s like people—you wear yourself courses in the South overseeding their being used. Seashore paspalum is out, and that’s when you get sick. fairways and greens with cool-season making a huge change. It has extreme So the more technology advances, the grasses in the winter? Is it done just for salt tolerance, so you can irrigate it more people’s demands advance, and aesthetics? with sea water. It looks nice and it the more diseases advance. It becomes It’s not controversial to the golfers. plays very well, so it’s really catching like a crazy arms race. They wouldn’t play much golf if it on in the Southeast, primarily, and the It does, that’s right. wasn’t done, and there wouldn’t be Caribbean islands and Mexico— What about low-mow grass—wouldn’t 1,200 golf courses in the state of anyplace that’s coastal where it doesn’t it be a benefit not to have to mow as Florida without it. If you don’t do it, ever get too cold. often? people won’t play golf. The majority of There’s a huge number of new, It’s a farce. For a golf course, it’s all courses in the South would overseed. improved grasses, but you really need about traffic. If you can’t regenerate the It’s not purely an aesthetic thing. If you to spend money to have good results. leaves of the grass fast enough when have three or four or five months of Through our research program we’ve people are playing, you’re going to end play on dormant grass, the traffic from developed cold-tolerant Bermuda up with no grass. With a home-lawn golfers can really do a lot of damage grasses, and you can use them all the situation, if you don’t have dogs and and can even kill it. If you had a lot of way up into Kansas and Iowa, which kids running all over the place, you play, it could be a disaster without is remarkable. That saves 50 percent could have a low-mow type of grass overseeding. Overseeding has evolved of the water that you would otherwise and not have to mow it as often. But—

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / mAY 2008 here’s the “but”—if it gets diseased, the careful, but if you look at the rationale ago. Oh my gosh, back in the ’20s they grass can’t outgrow it, and the disease with creeping bent grass, it’s just not a literally cured dollar spot. They will kill it right down to the ground. So threat to the environment. If it spreads, eliminated dollar spot from golf low-mow stuff doesn’t work very well. we already know that there are five courses. But they used mercury, Grass needs to grow. other herbicides that can kill it. So cadmium and lead arsenic to do it. How about the genetically engineered what’s the problem? How do you like that? All you had to do so-called “Roundup Ready” grasses, Will it be approved? back in the 1960s was put chlordane on which haven’t been approved—could It’s going to take a long time. the greens and you wouldn’t have an they help? What about artificial surfaces?A ny insect problem for 25 years. [Note: All Roundup Ready grass could be very future for golf? They’re low- uses of chlordane were banned by the useful on a golf course. You would just maintenance, don’t need pesticides, EPA in 1988.] have one application of Roundup and chemicals, water. How about water use—how do you take out the annual bluegrass, It certainly is possible to do this. But justify the massive amounts needed for crabgrass, clover; you could get rid of installing and maintaining artificial irrigation when there’s such a shortage the Poa annua, and the bent grass surfaces can be very expensive. Plastic of clean water? would be unaffected. It would save a can get very hot, and for a whole Well, you know, golf is a $65 billion huge amount of pesticide use. And fairway that would be unbearable. So industry in this country. Now there are Roundup is a product that, once it dries now you have to install a cooling plants that make little plastic toys for on the leaf, is not going to go system. They have algae problems, so kids. And they use a huge amount of anywhere, and it degrades fairly you’re out there spraying anyway. They water to do that. Is there any quickly. It wouldn’t solve everything, have wear problems. For golf it’s not difference? They make cars—that uses though. You’re still going to have new going to happen soon. huge amounts of water. We’re sitting diseases develop. It’s like if you use the Do you think pesticides are OK if they’re on furniture that required water to be same antibiotic time after time, used correctly? made. Think about it: Industries are eventually it becomes worthless. But Well, you’d rather not have any if you industries, and they all use water, and overall, if you look at the potential had a choice, but you’re not going to they all use fuel. Golf just happens to problems, they aren’t there. There’s a have a golf course if you don’t use be apparent. Visible. You can’t dismiss big potential benefit. some. We’ve done all this research on a $65 billion industry. But the genetically modified grasses are pesticides and nutrients, and we’ve Right. But water shortages are a huge hugely controversial. There have been found that if you do it the right way, problem. cases of protestors doing damage to the effect is really minimal, benign. If Sure it’s a problem. It’s a problem research facilities, and Scotts was you do it the wrong way, it can be anyplace you have drought. Georgia recently ordered to pay a fine of disastrous. And everything in between. typically has a lot of rain, but the last $500,000 after some Roundup Ready So the key is to get people educated to two years they’ve had a severe drought. grass escaped from a research facility in do it the right way. We’re working with And it can be that way in any part of Oregon. the GCSAA and others to come up with the country. I was visiting golf courses It’s a political issue, not a scientific a characterization of the pesticides that in California one summer in the late issue. From our perspective, it’s like we use. Because some are benign, they ’70s when a horrible drought occurred. anything that’s new: People are degrade quickly; they don’t really have They cut off the watering of golf worried about it until they see it. It’s any impact on anything. And then courses except for a little bit on greens just like when they came out with there are some that are really nasty. We and fairways. The roughs were totally Roundup Ready corn. It was a huge just pick the one that we think works gone, literally no grass, not even weeds. thing; there was worldwide screaming the best, without necessarily knowing Nothing would grow. They had had six and hollering. Well, people have been that one could be better for the months with no rain at all. Drinking eating Roundup Ready crops now for environment than another. Pesticides water was declining badly. So it really decades, and there’s no apparent issue today certainly are a lot better than got us to start thinking about it, and in with it. Not to say you shouldn’t be they were 10 or 20 or 30 or 40 years 1983 we decided to take a look at these environmental issues, and we established the Turfgrass Research Committee. And we’ve guided the research since that time. We’ve ‘PEOPLE ARE CONTINUING TO LIVE IN developed all these grasses that can be tolerant of drought and heat and salt PLACES LIKE LAS VEGAS. . . . PEOPLE and require far less fresh water. WILL HAVE TO LEAVE THOSE AREAS. There’s a lot that can be done to improve water use. In the Southwest, THERE WILL BE NO WATER.’ I’d say they’re doing a really good job.

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / MAY 2008 They do the best they can. They’re ‘THE NATURE OF GOLF COURSES increasingly using effluent water. Irrigating less and irrigating smarter. TODAY IS THAT TOO OFTEN Switching to better grasses. But it’s a YOU’RE PLAYING THE GAME ON A problem. People are continuing to live in places like Las Vegas. How many CHEMICAL STEW.’ million people live in the desert today? And more every day. And with the water, it’s just going to implode. It can’t go on. The aquifer is declining. Unless more than half a century—and used to 16,000 golf courses in the United States. some miracle happens, people will be the proud owner of a 2-handicap. We haven’t been able to instill an ethic have to leave those areas. There will be “Now it’s more like 5 or 6,” says the of all golf courses looking at their daily no water. former golf team member of Duke management practices and trying to be And when that happens, golf will be the University (the start of an academic compliant with good standards. I’ve least of anybody’s concern. journey in which Blackwelder earned been to a resort where they were That’s right. It’s going to happen in a master’s in mathematics from Yale spraying in high winds. You could Phoenix and Tucson and Las Vegas and and a doctorate in philosophy from actually smell it. That’s violating all all those places, because people aren’t the University of Maryland). “I play principles of good application. I’ve going to have water. It’s just going to nine holes probably twice a week in seen courses spraying when young get worse and worse. Water will be the the summer, except when I’m on children are present. Things like that key issue for most of our country for a vacation. Then I’ll play most of the should not happen. So overall, it’s an long time. time.” We met at the Friends of the uneven situation. Earth headquarters in the nation’s Let’s talk about some of those capital, not far from Dupont Circle. principles. What land should be used for Blackwelder’s sixth-floor office afforded golf courses, and what shouldn’t? a terrific view of the city. Snow was There are certain places where you falling. After the interview, he headed don’t want golf courses. I fought to to Capitol Hill to do what he does best: keep a course off of the Crystal River in “an afternoon of hardball lobbying.” Northern Michigan, where we taught our kids to canoe, Sleeping Bear Dunes Golf Digest: Is golf a friend or a foe of the National Lakeshore. A prime, sensitive earth? area with pristine water, very rare Brent Blackwelder: I’ve been asked plants and so forth—a golf course whether, in my position, I should even would be compromising the play golf. My brother said to me, “Isn’t environmental integrity of that land. environmentally sound golf an We were successful in keeping that one oxymoron?” And I said, “Well, it doesn’t away. On the other hand, I grew up have to be.” There have been some playing a course that was reseeded over courses that have done some very good farm fields and has very little chemical things, and there have been other usage, Silver Lake Country Club in courses that have caused some fairly western New York state. I still play it serious environmental problems: when I’m there every summer. Any contaminating water, ruining pristine conversion of farmland to a golf course THE streams, destroying habitats, producing does not present very many problems. environmentalist landslides. There are some really bad In fact, you might even be able to In 1970, brent blackwelder started examples. The nature of golf courses restore the land to some degree. Also, doing volunteer work for the U.S. today is that too often you’re playing the golf courses restoring quarries or branch of Friends of the Earth, which game on a chemical stew. The Golf & mines or other degraded land. But if describes itself as the world’s largest the Environment Initiative established you’re going into a forest and cutting grassroots environmental network very good principles to manage golf down trees to put in a golf course, (foe.org). Now president of the courses in as environmentally sound a losing biological diversity, reducing the organization, Blackwelder, 65, is manner as possible, covering things like species that are present, and one of America’s most prominent where golf courses should and shouldn’t compromising the water quality, that’s environmental advocates and has be located, habitat creation, pesticides, at the other end of the spectrum. testified before Congress on water and energy use. Where we have How about habitat creation—what can environmental issues more than 100 not done a good job is in the outreach, golf courses do? times. He has also been a golfer for in getting these principles used by the Part of the appeal of golf is, you’re

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / MAY 2008 getting out with the elements, in what we pay for them does not reflect that’s the first step. You don’t nature. The more non-use portions of their true cost, or their external costs automatically spray everything as soon the golf course can be returned to on society. That’s not in accordance as there’s any problem. You try to native species, the better it is. You don’t with the free-market system. When you identify the problem and understand want a lot of ornamentals. If you don’t externalize your cost onto the rest of the reasons for it and use the pesticide have the right native shrubs, you won’t society, that’s cheating. But that’s only sparingly, and as a last resort. get the insects, butterflies and different exactly how we’ve allowed it to From that, some courses might start kinds of birds that you want. About proceed. moving toward being more organic. It 6,000 of the 9,000 bird species on Pesticides? happened in agriculture. People said, earth are in decline. That’s not good When I play golf, I’m trying to get a “Oh, you can’t grow organic food.” But news. It’s very serious. There are healthy walk in a natural setting. Too now we have a growing organic possibilities on every course to alter many times you find you’re walking farming movement. Look at how that. Take a look at how Augusta does right in the areas where they’ve whole-foods grocery stores and local the banks of its creeks. It’s not natural sprayed. And you’re like, “Whoa, what farm markets are just skyrocketing in to grow grass right down a bank and am I doing walking here?” I’d rather be popularity. into a stream. I’d prefer to see native doing something else than following a What about genetically engineered vegetation, aquatic plants, growing truck that’s spreading chemicals grasses? A lot of people in the golf along those banks. It’s much more everywhere, especially when the guy industry say a “Roundup Ready” grass attractive. One of the worst things you driving the truck has got the protective should be approved because it would see at some courses is an artificially suit on and is using a respirator. One of allow superintendents to spray less dug pond with stone work all around the serious concerns with pesticides is often, and with just Roundup, which they the edge of it like a gothic cathedral. that, whereas, say, an adult male with a say is a benign product. What’s your Then you have golf balls bouncing off large body weight might not be that view? it, and it starts getting much too much susceptible, for youths or women of It’s totally the wrong way of thinking like a miniature golf course rather than childbearing age, exposure to a about it. I think it’s fine to do being out with the elements. chemical in even a very small amount hybridizations—selective breeding of Energy use? at the wrong time can do awful things. different grasses. That has served Golf is going to require some energy We’re just learning about this. There humanity well for 10,000 years. But use, but there are energy-efficient ways are only two cancers that are dropping when you’re doing genetic engineering, of doing things. I’ve talked with in age-adjusted incidence: lung cancer you’re doing stuff that doesn’t occur in Kenwood Golf and Country Club here in men, for the obvious reason that nature, cannot occur in nature. You’re in Bethesda [Md.] about using solar men aren’t smoking as much, and putting animal genes in plants, plant panels. We’ve potentially got so much stomach cancer; it’s not clear why. A lot genes in animals, genes from one solar and wind power. We’ve got these of the others—prostate cancer, breast species into another. And when you do vast outdoor parking lots in this cancer, childhood cancer—are very that, strange things can begin to country, like at the Pentagon here in much on the increase. The survival happen. It’s one thing to look at this D.C., or Dulles Airport. If you put solar rates are better, but the incidence is stuff in closed labs, but once it’s out in collectors over these outdoor parking growing. We should be going after nature, you’ve got something that’s lots—up on pedestals so that they’d prevention, because if we just go after live, it’s breeding, it’s multiplying, it’s shield the cars from the heat that cures, we’re going to lose the ballgame replicating. It’s potentially a biological builds up during the day—you’d be in the long run. pollution that you’ve put out into the generating fantastic amounts of Is it realistic to think that golf courses world. This technology is powerful. electricity. If you did all those outdoor could ever stop using pesticides? We’re pretending we know what we’re parking lots, you’d generate more What is realistic is all golf courses doing, but we are at a stage of electricity than the U.S. uses. It’s a no- using the principles of Integrated Pest incredible ignorance. With genetic brainer to do it. The problem is that Management, which is typical in engineering, you’re putting something fossil fuels are heavily subsidized, and agriculture. There’s no doubt that really wild into the equation, and you’d better be ready for some big surprises. And we’re getting enough environmental surprises today with things like climate change. ‘IF YOU PUT SOLAR COLLECTORS The other point I’d make is that the big selling point for genetically OVER these OUTDOOR PARKING engineered plants in agriculture— LOTS . . . YOU’D GENERATE MORE which were approved and are in widespread use—was that they’d need ELECTRICITY THAN THE u.S. USES.’ less herbicide use. That’s not been

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / mAY 2008 the case. They also said there’d be ‘WE’VE GONE FROM BEING THE increased yields. That’s not been the case, either. It’s terrible—the majority ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER TO A of soybeans now are genetically COUNTRY THAT’S DESPISED.’ engineered, as are vast acreages of corn, and there’s no monitoring of it. And there’s no way to know if we’ve eaten genetically engineered food today, because there are no labels on just cannot believe that politicians The U.S. has less than 5 percent of the anything that we’ve eaten. aren’t doing all they can to protect it. world’s population, but produces 25

But for genetically engineered golf- But the truth is, they’re not. percent of C02 greenhouse gas course grasses, what is the worst that Since 1970, when I started as a emissions. And it’s one of the few could happen if it were approved? What volunteer for Friends of the Earth, countries not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol are the dangers? I’ve seen Republicans and Democrats [to reduce greenhouse gases that cause One of the problems is that some come and go, from when Nixon was climate change]. genetically engineered grasses are president to George Bush Jr. We’re Right. Now that Australia has signed it, getting into the national forests, and a bipartisan organization. But I we’re really out there like a sore thumb. the U.S. Forest Service cannot get rid would say that George Bush Jr. is the It’s tragic to see that leadership we of them. Try to get rid of some invasive most anti-environmental president once had just be turned on its end. species, like garlic mustard, that have we’ve ever had in that time. Nixon, Now it’s not leadership, it’s like an come into our forests from Europe. It’s in contrast, appointed people to anchor slowing down the progress of spreading like wildfire. Or look at the environmental agencies who really the rest of the world, which is trying to American chestnut. It was the most cared about what they were doing. move toward clean energy. The oil, coal important timber species east of the Under his regime, major laws like and gas guys are running this Mississippi—great, gigantic trees, the amendment to the Clean Air Act, administration. durable lumber, produced more nuts the Clean Water Act, the National Final question: What would golf be like than anything else. A very valuable Environmental Policy Act, were signed in a perfect world? wildlife tree. Well, 100 years ago, the into law. There was a much more You’d be playing on an organic course. Department of Agriculture thought, bipartisan approach. Whereas Bush The maintenance equipment would be Wouldn’t it be nice to bring the Asian Jr. has failed to enforce basic pollution charged by solar power. Recycled water chestnut into the United States? And the laws, and he’s tried to prevent states would be used for irrigation, and used American chestnut disappeared like that wanted to do more from doing efficiently and sparingly. There’d be a that. It succumbed to a blight, an so. He’s even gone against standards great variety of wildlife habitats. This airborne fungus, from the Asian that would make our use of energy idea that you’ve got to make everything chestnut. There are no native American more efficient, which is very surprising. look like a miniature golf course with a chestnuts now that can do anything At the environmental agencies, he’s green carpet is crazy. It’s the same other than grow up 15 feet and die. And appointed some people into positions problem that we see with these lawn we have no answer to it. And I’m just of authority who don’t even believe in fetishes—all the water and chemicals saying, you think that’s bad? What the constitutionality of environmental and energy that are used for a lawn happens with a plant that’s got animal laws. Public lands have been devastated that just sits there. So let’s get back to genes stuck into it? What happens to by oil and gas leasing. Some of the the rugged qualities of the game. the things that eat that plant? Who worst coal mining—mountaintop People ought to read the history of golf. knows? And what does that do to the mining—has continued. The EPA has We’ve not been very good stewards rest of the food chain? It’s hard for us failed. Again and again, the EPA has of the earth as a species. We should be to even conceive of what the effects to be ordered by the court to comply a blessing to the rest of life, not such might be. with the law. A big failure. The United a curse. The whole idea of living with You’ve been an environmentalist for States, by the way, used to be the world and appreciating and understanding almost 40 years. Have you seen an leader in environmental quality, with our surroundings is something we increase in awareness and concern those pioneering acts during the Nixon need more of. We have this incredible among the American public in that time? administration. Other nations looked up nature-deficit disorder worldwide. There’s tremendous awareness now. to us at that time. And now we’ve gone We’re sitting all day in front of a Probably a thousand-fold increase in from being the environmental leader to a computer in an office and not getting awareness of an issue like global country that’s despised. Other countries out for a walk in the woods. Golf is warming, of how our use of fossil fuels look at the United States as arrogant, a great opportunity to be outdoors. affects every nook and cranny on the biggest greenhouse gas polluter, and It should be a fun, interesting, great Planet Earth. Now most people are disdainful of the impact of that pollution walk out there; a healthful, salubrious very much pro-environment, and they on other people worldwide. experience. ‹›

/ GOLFDIGEST.COM / mAY 2008 To continue the dialogue online, go to golfdigest.com/magazine/environment