Blog Posts

May 6, 2019 by NYS BMP

Most people can easily recognize a monarch butterfly, but did you know that their numbers have suffered dramatic declines in the last 40 years? Habitat loss in both their summer and overwintering locations has played a major role in this decline.

A number of recent conservation efforts have been put in place to help protect monarchs and their habitat. One such program is aimed directly at golf courses: Monarchs in the Rough, a new program sponsored by Audubon International and the Environmental Defense Fund.

Because monarch butterflies only lay their eggs on milkweed, and their caterpillars only eat milkweed, the Monarchs in the Rough program provides superintendents with regionally appropriate milkweed seeds to restore monarch butterfly habitat in out-of-play areas. Monarchs in the Rough also offers signage, posters, and technical guidance to golf course managers in the installation and management of monarch habitat and ideas of how to communicate with course members about these conservation efforts.

April 23, 2019 by NYS BMP ·

The New York Golf Course Foundation (NYGCF) is a newly launched non profit to promote sustainable golf management efforts in New York State. This new organization is an evolutionary step for the New York State Best Management Practices (BMPs) project begun in 2012 that established the state’s first golf industry BMPs.

The foundation’s mission is to continue and expand upon the work of the BMP committee, raise the profile of the state’s golf industry with respect to its environmental sustainability efforts, and to fundraise to provide a sustainable source of revenue to continue these efforts. Scientists from Cornell University will continue working with NYGCF to update the BMPs, address new topics as the need arises, and provide education to the superintendent target audience.

The current focus of the NYGCF is outreach and education aimed at promoting the acceptance and implementation of BMPs by the state’s golf course superintendents. In addition, the Foundation will continue to promote the recognition of BMPs as the best way to protect and preserve our water resources and enhance open space. State lawmakers and regulators have applauded our past efforts and the Foundation’s directors will continue to inform these key stakeholders of the activities of the new Foundation.

Under a current Turf Environmental Stewardship Foundation (TESF) grant, the foundation is working on an update to the state’s BMPs that will be incorporated into a template that can be used by any superintendent in the state to create a site-specific facility BMP. Once completed, the foundation will provide information and workshops for superintendents to become more familiar with the process of completing their own BMP document. Taking the time to create a facility BMP can pay off in a number ways; for example, superintendents can use their site-specific BMP document as a resource during the permit negotiating process with local towns by recognizing the club’s commitment to protecting water quality or as a tool to educate golfers and/or the interested non-golfing public regarding the industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship. The facility BMP tool is expected to be available to superintendents through the GCSAA’s BMP portal by October.

In addition to the facility BMP template development, the Foundation is currently working on re-establishing its Twitter feed (@NYS_GolfBMP), publishing new blogs on the website, and documenting case studies of BMP implementation. The Twitter feed, blogs, and case studies are designed to inform, update, and educate superintendents about time sensitive BMP-related methods for completing various environmentally sensitive tasks. The NYGCF will also continue maintaining and updating the BMP website (https://nysgolfbmp.cals.cornell.edu/).

We invite superintendents to subscribe to the Twitter feed, submit case studies (through the website comment field), and read our blog.

April 22, 2019 by NYS BMP

At Whippoorwill (country club?) buffer strips around ponds on the property had become overgrown and encroached upon by invasive species. Because of the rocky, steep hillside, chemical control was not an option and physical removal difficult.

To control the growth, an innovative approach to vegetation removal was utilized: goats. Goats are browsers who prefer brushy vegetation and vines (including poison ivy) versus other species like sheep who prefer to graze on grass. Goats are also unique in weed seeds are left unviable after being digested and will not grow out of their excrement.

Green Goats, a company out of Rhinebeck NY, was used to introduce goats and set up fencing. Three foot livestock fencing powered by a solar powered fence charger was used to enclose the area for the goats.

The project was very successful and areas that were completely overgrown were cleared of  foliage within a couple of weeks. It also provided a significant cost savings – estimated at $15,000 less than what would have been spent to remove the overgrowth physically. In addition, because of the conservation easement on the property, goats were the only viable option for clearing the overgrown areas. The area cleared by the goats will be replanted with native species.

Because of the project’s success, goats will be brought back to new areas. Though very successful, the goats did have one unintended side effect: they slowed play. As members passed the area, man would stop to see the goats and take pictures.