Sustainability doesn’t hibernate during the winter just because snow may blanket golf courses in the northern portion of the region. The simple, but effective, practice of diverting relatively few winter golfers to temporary putting surfaces whenever the weather is favorable for winter play can help preserve turf for the masses of golfers afflicted by cabin fever come springtime. Why not conserve the limited resources of your facility for use when they will have the greatest impact on course conditioning and can be enjoyed by the greatest number of golfers?
In the same vein, courses throughout the southern portion of the region can utilize the slow time around the holidays to undertake various projects that have considerable potential to soften golf’s impact on the environment. Why not buoy bumblebee populations by participating in programs developed by industry partners, such as Operation Pollinator. The establishment of additional habitat for pollinators in out-of-play areas on the course can enhance the visual appeal of your facility and help preserve our important, but dwindling, populations of pollinators. A link to this beneficial program is: OperationPollinator
Source: Bob Vavrek (rvavrek@usga.org)