A Study of Worth

by Dan Dinelli (editor@clubandresortbusiness.com)
June 2007
 

Selected findings of the Rocky Mountain GCSA study • The golf industry contributed $15,730 per acre of land and $11,667 per acre-foot of water in direct revenues to Colorado’s economy. • Of Colorado golf courses’ 36,500 total acres, only 19,800 acres (54.2 percent) were irrigated turfgrass. • One-third of the state’s golf course acreage is unmaintained land that serves wildlife and conserves water. • During a severe drought year, when evapotranspiration analysis showed that golf course water usage should have increased by 25 percent due to lack of rainfall, courses in the state were still able to reduce their water use by 226 million gallons, thanks to water conservation programs that were already in place. • Golf courses use 15 gallons per square foot per year of maintained turfgrass; by comparison, residential lawn irrigation is estimated at 18 gallons/sq. ft./year. For a summary of the study, go to www.cogolf.org/uploads/impact/impactfly.pdf; for full details, go to www.cogolf.org/iframe.php?URL=/uploads/impact/impactstudy.html

For a high-school kid who likes landscaping, there’s probably no better place to have a part-time job at a golf course than Lawrence, Kan.—a college town (Kansas University), and also headquarters for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). The chances are high that budding young greenskeeping talent in Lawrence will catch the eye of someone who can help steer them into a rewarding career.

That’s what happened to Joe McCleary after he started working at Lawrence’s Alvamar Golf Course. His mentor, Dick Stuntz, CGCS, “saw my interest in the various activities required to maintain the course, and asked me if I had ever considered pursuing a degree in horticulture. Prior to that conversation, I was not aware this type of degree existed.” Encouraged, McCleary went on to get an undergraduate degree from Kansas State (hey, you can’t hang around Lawrence forever), and then a Master’s in Business from the University of Colorado.

Today, Joe works for the City of Aurora, Colo.’s Golf Division at Saddle Rock Golf Course, a public course in suburban Denver, where he has been involved in all aspects of its planning, construction and operation for the past 12 years. At Saddle Rock, Joe reports, “there are 240 acres in the golf corridor and only 105 are maintained for golf; there is also a wide range of habitat types, including wetlands, shrub lands and native short grass prairie.”

Benefitting from this broader view, Joe has helped his local (Rocky Mountain) chapter of the GCSAA develop leading-edge research to show not only the greater economic value of golf courses, but also dispel myths about their impact on the environment. He recently took some time to share some very interesting insights that he’s gained in these areas:

Q Joe, largely through the efforts of you and your fellow superintendents in the Rocky Mountain region, data was gathered to show the value of golf courses to the local economy—something I feel the public often overlooks. Can you share with us some of what the results showed?

A Our chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America spearheaded an effort that led to the completion of An Independent Study of the 2002 Economic Impact and Environmental Aspects of Golf in Colorado. Several other states had completed economic impact studies in the past, but none also gathered environmental information about golf courses on the scale that we did in Colorado, or then combined the two to show such a positive overall correlation.
Our study not only showed that the positive economic impact associated with golf was significant, but more importantly, that golf courses in Colorado used only a small portion of the state’s water resources. In fact, we found that less than one-third of one percent of the state’s water consumption occurred on golf courses.

Further, the study showed that for each unit of water that was used, significant income was produced. And we evaluated the amount of water used per irrigated acre, to prove that golf courses use water efficiently.

Q Clearly, studies like yours have helped to show that golf has much to offer beyond the player. What can you suggest to superintendents about helping others better understand the value of the landscape that golf is played on? 

A To get the message out about the environmental benefits of golf courses, superintendents have to invite people who do not have a strong interest in the game to visit and tour the dynamic wildlife resources that are part of a golf course property. While it is important to share information with golfers, a greater portion of the population does not play golf, so it may be even more important to share golf’s strong environmental message with non-golfers.

Joe McCleary has helped the City of Aurora (Colo.) develop Saddle Rock GC(above), where less than half the 240 acres in the golf corridor are maintained for golf.

Recently, I invited a fellow member of our local Rock Garden Society to visit our golf course and view the spectacular native wild flowers blooming on the property, on parts of native prairie that were preserved—not planted—during the construction of Saddle Rock. There is no doubt in my mind that she was skeptical about what she would see. In the end, though, she was delighted and told many more people about the wonderful things happening on the golf course and the spectacular flowers she observed.

On the other hand, I am embarrassed to say that I have never invited golfers to view these flowers with me, probably because I do not know too many golfers who are members of a Rock Garden Society (except for Stan Metsger, CGCS). But I’ve taken many pictures and there is no doubt this information needs to be shared with a greater audience. Unfortunately, I think too many golfers also take for granted the great natural resources associated with a course.

Q Along those lines, how has your experience with Audubon International helped in this area?

A The Audubon program is a tool that helps you think about the wide-ranging opportunities that exist on the golf course. Saddle Rock is Audubon-certified and was enrolled before golf course construction even started. Environmental planning played a large part in the

project, since there were wetlands and existing prairie areas on the site. Some wetlands were mitigated during construction, and there is no doubt in my mind that the native prairie areas and wetlands improved after the cattle were removed from the site and course construction started. After a very snowy winter and wet spring, we’re now seeing native wildflowers that haven’t been viewed in the past. This shows that the land recovers, but it takes significant time to regenerate a plant population that was overgrazed by cattle.

Q As a result of studies like yours, a larger emphasis has also been placed on the need to
properly use water to keep playing conditions, and therefore economic vitality, alive. To quote you, “Without land and water, there wouldn’t be a golf course.” How has this message been presented to—and received by—the general public?

A I’ve used this phrase a lot during discussions related to golf courses and the environment. It seems to me that people, golfers and golf managers forget that without those two valuable resources, they would not have a course, so it is important to carefully manage all of the factors that impact them. The droughts that have occurred in recent years should make golfers, and all people associated with golf courses, even more aware that water, in particular, is now a resource that must be given a high priority.