Greenkeeper's Diary: Greenkeeping ' Getting Greener !! '

Sep 4 2008 The Journal

Brian Clark Of Close House Hotel And Golf Club Continues His Greenkeeper's Diary Column Aimed At Keeping Golf North East Readers Up-to-date With Greenkeeping Goings-on ...

There is a growing interest in taking a sustainable approach to golf course management and as the number of recycled products available on the market increases, golf course greenkeepers now have sustainable alternatives for their turf management and landscaping needs.

Using recycled products and implementing recycling schemes at a course not only demonstrates a responsible attitude to members but it also makes the course stand out from the rest. However it is important for us greenkeepers to ensure that the greener processes and products we use will still give us the same high standards and performance given from existing products.

Sand (Made from re-cycled glass) this type of sand can be used as putting green rootzone, top dressing on fairways or tees and finally as a bunker sand. Overall, glass-derived sand is capable of complying with USGA specifications and can provide benefits such as improvements to drainage, greater stability underfoot and reduced ball plugging on impact, when compared to conventional sands.

Compost derived from garden trimmings and cuttings is especially suited for landscaping applications on fairways and in planted areas. The organic matter in the compost helps to improve the soil structure, increase grass seed germination and improve regrowth in divots on tees and fairways. It also provides nutrients such as nitrogen in a slow release form that helps the grasses growth, and many of the micro-organisms present are able to suppress turf disease.

Use of off cut wood from trees, using recycled woodchips as mulch helps suppress weed growth and also gives flowerbeds around the clubhouse or hotel an attractive finish. They can also be used as walkway cover, which is a lot easier on spikes than gravel or shale, and will not damage grass cutting machinery should it be spread onto the grass.

Plastic fences, walkways, signage and benches can all be constructed from recycled plastic. These products are highly durable and last many times longer than traditional timber. Products are low maintenance without the need for regular painting or treatment as they are impervious to rot and infestation and do not lose colour from sun exposure.

Recycling water, it is possible for golf clubs to recycle all the water they use. For example, the water used to wash the machinery can be collected, recycled, and then treated waste water from the hotel or clubhouse can be reused as irrigation water. You can also top up the water levels in the ponds using recycled water from the drainage system. This process of recycling water is a real breakthrough and not only demonstrates environmental awareness, but saves the course money as well. Businesses such as waste2water (www.waste2water.com) provide systems that clean water that would otherwise be wasted.

Here at Close House we are trying to be as sustainable as possible we currently are using drainage water to top up water levels in ponds, using recycled plastic for tee signage, using organic fertilizers and the use of compost derived from cuttings throughout the estate gardens. In the future we will be looking to introduce many more of the processes outlined in this article so we can have a much lower impact on the environment.