Can Worm Turds Save the Golf Industry?

Right now, as I pen this post, people knee-deep in worm feces are revolutionizing the future of golf courses - and quite possibly saving the golf industry to boot.

That's right - worm crap. Or, more politely; worm castings. When utilized properly, this poop can save golf courses big money. And when courses save, golfers, golf retailers - in fact the entire golf industry, benefits. All from worm feces.

As absurd as this sounds, it may actually be pretty accurate. You see, worm dung, when brewed into a tea-like liquid (trust me, this isn't your pappy's sun-brewed iced tea) can be used as a decent substitute for chemical fertilizer and pesticides.

Less chemicals means less pollution run-off into streams, rivers and oceans. But what it also does is save the course from spending on said costly pesticides and fertilizers. In addition, using this worm castings tea can "reduce water usage by 30-50 percent" - see where this is starting to make sense from a golf course perspective?

So how do golf courses do this? I mean, is it really that feasible? What about costs? Well, one course in California has implemented this process and it hasn't costed them a dime - not in equipment, labor or worm poop.

The trick is capitalizing on the green movement that's been sweeping the nation over the last several years. There are many non-for-profit eco-organizations out there more than willing to fork over cash in return for a better and safer environment. Such was the case in California - when Dairy Creek Golf Course, in conjunction with the Green Golfer Foundation received a grant from multiple state-funded eco-organizations to fund their "ZerO Waste" initiative.

In a nut-shell; you get the worms (in this case, they were provided free of charge by another eco-organization), put them in worm bins (built by volunteers from the Green Golfer Foundation) and then watch them multiply exponetially in just a few months. Then you get all your leftover restaurant waste (which is free anyway) and let the worms chow down. They start pooping and you brew said poop in a 500 gallon compost brewer (assembled for free from the good folks at Green Golfer Foundation) and begin spraying the tea on the course.

Not only are you saving costs in fertilizer and pesticides, but you've just created one of the world's first zero waste golf courses. Yell that out the pro shop window and watch those lovable tree-hugger groups (cash in hand) come running!

But all joking aside, this concept is working at Dairy Creek Golf Course - a zero waste solution with no cost to the course. In fact, Dairy Creek is actually saving money by limiting the use of fertilizer, pesticides and water. The Green Golfer Foundation is looking for members willing to implement similar systems on golf courses all over the country. If you're interested in helping on a golf course in your area, please email them at: richard@environmentalprotectionassociates.com.

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Golf and the Environment...Enough Already!

Dear golfers of the world,

Haven't we heard enough about eco-this and eco-that? The tree-huggers already have a day dedicated to the well-being of the planet: Earth Day...and it was last Friday - I think we're good till next year, no?

It's bad enough Al Gore is running around like Chicken Little yelling the sky is falling, but now the "green" movement is encroaching on our golf games to boot.

First the environmentalists complained that golf courses messed up the local wildlife (big deal - it's not like the golf industry is BP). Then they observed that it takes a ton of water to keep a course green...not to mention a ton of chemicals (so there's a little chemical run-off - who drinks out of a stream anymore anyway)? I mean, what's next - outrage over the billions and billions of lost golf balls littering the planet? The gas used in our carts? The trees chopped to accommodate an additional 18 holes?

Don't even get me started on all the "eco-golf" websites out there: Places like Turfhugger, Golf & Environment and...of all sites to jump on the bandwagon; Golf Stinks...with posts HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE - about...yep, you guessed it...Golf and the freaking environment. When will it end?

Well, it appears no time soon. If the aforementioned wasn't eco-nauseous enough, the hippies over at Golf Refugees have developed "a set of environmental golf rules." Apparently, they feel they have the cojones large enough to petition the the USGA and R&A to alter the Rules of Golf to accommodate their new eco-rules - what silliness!

I'm so sick of hearing that golf is made up of a bunch of rich fat cats that don't care about the environmental impacts of the game they love. I say the exact opposite is true: We've taken what was once useless wilderness and turned it into something for everyone to use (well, that is...everyone that has the prim and properness to wear chinos and a collared shirt; frivolously spend on the latest golf balls, shoes and gloves; fork over a small fortune on greens fees; spend hundreds - in some cases thousands - on a decent set of golf clubs; and have a car to put it all in...preferably something with 8 cylinders that comfortably fits 7).

So please don't let all this eco-hype fool you. Golf courses are doing nothing wrong and there's no such thing as global warming. Just go about your business as usual and I hope to see you all at your local course this weekend (just ignore those yellow "caution pesticide application" signs on each tee-box - they're totally hog wash)!

Sincerely,
The Traditional Golf Industry

Author's Note: Unless your head's completely up your ass, you've realized this post is nothing but satire. That being said, it's time the powers that be in the golf industry get their heads out of their asses.

If we want our kids and our grand kids to enjoy this game, we need to make some changes ASAP. The guys over at Golf Refugees are on to something with their eco-rules - it's a lofty goal, but a necessary one. And if we can't change the rules immediately, how about an eco-tournament on the pro-tour? Just one tour stop a year where there's an eco-centric theme (perhaps it's played on a course that doesn't use pesticides).

Many people point to golf as a sport that's detrimental to the environment. Let's change that. God knows, this game can use all the help it can get.

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The Advent of Organic Golf Courses

Twenty years ago, Whole Foods supermarket was virtually unheard of, save for a minimal portion of the population in Texas. The organic food phenomenon was just beginning to take root, and many thought it was doomed to fail.

The idea that food could be grown on a large scale without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers was dismissed as hogwash. But yet these days there are nearly 300 Whole Foods markets across North America and the UK, and a growing number of consumers are seeking organic meals around the dinner table.

Like the organic food industry of two decades ago, today we're at the dawn of a new way to manage golf courses. Within the last 10 years, an increasing number of golf course managers have begun to realize that the "Augusta effect" is not only expensive, but environmentally irresponsible to boot.

As I mentioned in a previous post, overseeding, a common practice in warmer climates to keep grass green year-round, is beginning to wane. As a result, golfers in those regions are learning that brown grass doesn't necessarily mean bad grass.

But beyond overseeding, what about all the pesticides and synthetic fertilizers used to keep courses in line with our expectations? According to the Worldwatch Institute, golf courses encompass nearly 2 million acres of land in the U.S., and they collectively take-in 4 billion gallons of water a day. This water mixes with pesticides and fertilizers, which contributes to water pollution, and ultimately the health of plants, animals and humans suffer - A 1994 study of death certificates from over 600 golf course superintendents revealed unusually high numbers of deaths from specific cancers, including brain and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

These risks have led to a new breed of golf course: Organic. In 2002, residents of the upscale Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard were so afraid of water pollution from a proposed golf course, they successfully lobbied course management to operate 100% free of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Vineyard Golf Club (pictured at top) is perhaps the only course in the United States to not use a drop of chemicals.

But others are taking similar measures. Bear Creek Golf Course in the state of Washington only uses fungicide and fertilizer on its greens; Applewood Golf Course in Colorado uses synthetic fertilizers, but no pesticides; The Resort at Squaw Creek golf course in Lake Tahoe uses no "pesticides and only a minimal amount of organic-based fertilizer;" and Kabi Golf Course in Australia has been called the only organic course in the southern hemisphere (check out the review by our buddy Michael over at the Aussie Golfer blog HERE).

There are probably more courses like this out there, but they're not easy to find - this really is a new concept (perhaps one of the best resources is this in-depth look at golf and the environment by Golf Digest in 2008). But in a couple decades (as more courses begin weening off the chemical baths and more players begin to accept a little more brown grass) we may all have played on at least one of these organic tracks - to the benefit of both the land and ourselves.

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