Below is an Artile from Golf Course Management Magazine that describes how we use golf to help manage water problems instead of looking at it as a deterrent.
MikeSouthern hospitality
Superintendent Buck Workman, CGCS, welcomed volunteers and environmental
experts to help protect and enhance his golf course and his home state.
National public course winner: Cateechee Golf Club
CGCS Buck Workman's environmental efforts at Cateechee GC have been well received in the community. The course was the subject of a local public television program and has been featured on numerous radio programs.
2000 ESA winner
I n his Southern drawl, Buck Workman, CGCS, talks humbly and matter-of-factly about how the environmental efforts on his Georgia golf course were featured in a Georgia Public Television documentary. Almost immediately, he credits University of Georgia professor William Segars, Ph.D., his staff and students for helping the course win GCSAA's award as the nation's most environmentally friendly public venue.
Workman is also quick to thank David Carlock, wildlife management director for Georgia's Department of Natural Resources, and Ron Dodson, president and CEO of Audubon International. And there are many others he'd like to thank.
Workman stresses that the environmental strategies implemented by his staff at the 18-hole, 473-acre Cateechee Golf Club in Hartwell, Ga., have been and continue to be a collaborative effort. So he accepts GCSAA's award willingly but on behalf of many people.
"It's something we're all very excited about," he says. "We've worked hard toward it, and we're glad to be recognized. I know there's a lot of good (environmental) stuff being done on public golf courses, so we're very happy to come out on top."
Cateechee GC's environmental efforts range from recovering 639 million gallons of recycled wastewater a year to using a color-coded "nature board" in the pro shop to educate players about the course's interesting environmental features. Detailed water-quality, waste, pest and wildlife management plans were created as part of a comprehensive program that Workman admits even he was once skeptical about undertaking.
Best use of land
The city of Hartwell's wastewater treatment plant kicks out about 1.75 million gallons of treated water every day -- water that once had been discharged into a nearby stream. City officials balked at additional commercial development plans for a scenic tract of land because it would have further strained the already taxed water treatment system. But they accepted golf course architect Michael Young's plans for a public golf course that would use effluent water to irrigate the course's bermudagrass tees and fairways and bentgrass greens.
Workman collaborated with Young in 1996 as the course was laid out and built in time for its Nov. 18, 1997, opening. "I had known Mike for quite some time, and he's very much a naturalist," says Workman, who contacted Young to take on the superintendent's position that was closer to his home.
As the two men began embracing the natural lay of the land, they agreed that an overall environmental approach to promote stewardship would bode well for "such a pretty piece of property," Workman says.
"I think this has sort of become one of Mike's pet projects," Workman notes, "and he was very pleased to learn of the award. Mike really takes care of nature."
"It (the Audubon International program) offers a step-by-step approach, and it's the type of thing that just whets your appetite for more," he explains. "I've got a better realization of how golf and the environment can coexist. You can have a quality golf course and at the same time protect the environment. As Ron Dodson says, the golfers can learn something about the wildlife and native plants as well as playing golf."
Tapping a wide variety of sources -- from designer Michael Young to Audubon International President and CEO Ron Dodson -- has allowed Workman to mold Cateechee GC in Hartwell, Ga., into a model of environmental stewardship.
Photos by Mike Klemme/golfoto.com
Monitoring water use, quality
Cateechee GC was built with an innovative drainage system that removes water quickly from the course and uses natural plants as filters and buffers to protect nearby water sources. The drainage system is an important part of Cateechee's detailed water-quality management plan.
Workman sought the help of professor Segars and his staff to draw up the water-quality management plan, which focuses on effluent use for irrigation, water-quality monitoring, drainage and conservation of potable water.
"Catch basins are designed to trap runoff water and divert it from the golf course," Workman says. "Drainage water is then discharged through natural filtering before entering ponds and streams. All property surrounding the course and all natural water sources on the course are protected by no-spray, no-maintenance buffer zones."
Instead of tapping into millions of gallons of fresh water for irrigation, the course has a state-of-the-art, computerized irrigation system featuring 1,600 sprinkler units. This system makes the best use of an estimated 639 million gallons of effluent water annually.
"We must practice very careful irrigation programming every day to prevent saturation and runoff," Workman says. "The golf course currently handles an average of 1.75 million gallons of recycled water per day."
Mineral and pesticide scans are conducted monthly on streams, ponds and groundwater monitoring wells. A turbidity meter automatically diverts poor-quality water into a reject pond. Effluent water is tested daily for concentrates of total bacteria coliform, chlorine residual and turbidity.
Management of water also extends to course restrooms and locker rooms, which were equipped with 1.6-gallon flush toilets to conserve water, as well as low-volume faucets and shower heads. Rinse water from the equipment washpad is thoroughly cleaned and filtered before being discharged. A chemical and fertilizer storage facility features sealed and diked floors so chemicals won't seep into the groundwater.
Cateechee's bermudagrass tees and fairways and bentgrass greens are irrigated with 639 million gallons of effluent
water annually.
A home to roam
"Since our property covers 473 acres, we have a lot of space for wildlife to roam," Workman says. So he turned to Carlock of the state's department of natural resources to prepare a wildlife management plan.
Carlock mapped out a wildlife path, and identified habitats as well as food and water sources. He also did an inventory of the deer, turkey, rabbits, blue herons, owls and countless other birds and animals that make Cateechee GC their home.
"The wildlife path essentially follows the streams that run through the property, and we protect these sensitive wildlife areas and sources of food with a 25-foot buffer zone," Workman says.
Mowing of the fields around the golf course is scheduled for times when ground-nesting birds won't be disturbed, and the crew allows vegetation to grow along fences to provide additional habitat.
Golfers frequently comment on different wildlife they see during their rounds and have applauded a color-coded "nature board" in the pro shop that helps them know where to look.
Opportunities to improve the habitat for animals and birds have attracted a steady stream of volunteers. Before long, volunteers were asking Workman what they could do to help make the course conducive to wildlife.
A wildlife management plan drawn up by Georgia's department of natural resources guides Workman as he manages the 473-acre facility.
Managing pests, waste
Cateechee's Integrated Pest Manage-ment (IPM) plan outlines environmentally friendly, yet smart, business strategies to ensure turfgrass growth and to fight off pests and diseases. It focuses on quality, certified seed and cultivar selection; cultural management practices; and various biological control methods. Important facets of the plan include carefully monitoring pest populations, scouting daily for warning signs, establishing treatment thresholds and strategies and educating employees.
"Our plan promotes the use of biological control, such as Bacillus thuringiensis for grub control, when possible," Workman says. "It calls for aggressive cultural management practices to cope with compacted areas and to control thatch."
A waste management plan identifies ways to recycle cans, plastic containers, glass, paper and petroleum-based products, and it outlines ways to reduce waste. It also identifies and encourages the purchase of products that are manufactured with recycled materials.
"We purchase most products in bulk quantities to eliminate the accumulation of small containers," Workman adds.
An energy management plan, prepared by the Georgia Power Co., promotes everything from light-color exteriors to reflect sunlight to low-watt light bulbs and timers for water heaters.
Workman says their efforts to conserve resources, manage water quality, cut chemical use and select environmentally friendly products and equipment are gradually getting noticed.
He says that even at church he is approached by strangers who comment about the public television show or radio shows that highlighted the course's environmental efforts.
Of course, being green is not without its challenges. It takes awareness and commitment, but eventually it melds with the daily job.
"It's on our minds when we get here every morning," Workman says. "But it's just part of the day now. I think we almost take it for granted anymore. It's just what we do."
Mike