Best Management Practices on the Golf Course Dr. Matt Fagerness KSU Turfgrass Extension.

Best Management Practices on the Golf Course

Dr. Matt Fagerness

KSU Turfgrass Extension

Golf Courses are Vulnerable to:

• Soil erosion (especially during grow-in)

• Surface runoff (rain, uneven irrigation)

• Movement of fertilizer and pesticides offsite

• Improper use of fertilizers and pesticides

This Seminar:

• Is not intended to criticize course management practices

• Is intended to offer new perspective(s) on familiar concepts

• Will hopefully increase awareness of the many practices which affect golf course ecosystems

Seminar Breakdown

• Part I: Basics of Best Management Practices

• Part II: Integrated Pest Management

• Part III: Practical Applications of IPM– Environmental and Pest Monitoring– Pesticide Selection Criteria– Applicable Strategies for Reducing Pesticide Input

Part I: What are BMPs?

• Practices implemented before and during management to protect natural resources both on and off the golf course.

Four Primary Goals of BMPs:

• 1) Identify potential for and reduce or eliminate offsite

transport of sediment, nutrient, and pesticides.

• 2) Use strategic, biological, and mechanical soil and

water conservation practices

• 3) Control the rate, method, and types of inputs used

• 4) Reduce total chemical use through an IPM approach

Goals of BMPs

• 1) Identify potential for and reduce or eliminate offsite transport of sediment, nutrient, and pesticides. (LU, SP)

• 2) Use strategic, biological, and mechanical soil and water conservation practices

Environmental Planning

• A proactive environmental approach to golf course construction and management can mitigate future problems.– Step I: examine characteristics of the site– Step II: identify site’s position relative to watershed

drainage basins– Step III: identify environmentally sensitive areas– Step IV: determine management practices which will help

protect sensitive areas

Step I: Site Description

• Topography

• Major surface water features– streams and ponds/lakes

• Soil physical and chemical characteristics

• Climatic history

• Water quality assessment

• Surveys of native plant and animal populations

Step II: Watershed Drainage Basins

• Mapping the routes and locations of all watershed drainage basins allows:

– determination of the effects of golf holes where surface and subsurface drainage are installed

– determination of turfgrass acreage within each drainage basin

Step III: Identifying Sensitive Areas

• Environmentally sensitive areas: those natural resources that are susceptible to change and subsequent alteration of the ecosystem

• Surface water sources and associated habitats are the most noteworthy examples

Step IV: Protection of Sensitive Areas

• Land use BMPs to minimize pollutant input

• Careful selection of fertilizers and pesticides (one place where IPM plugs into the BMP scheme)

• Restricted use management zones– e.g. reduced or no-spray zones around bodies of water

Two Main Types of BMPs

• Land Use BMPs: Practices engineered and incorporated into course/landscape design and construction.

• Source Prevention BMPs: Practices implemented during management of a golf course.

Land Use BMPs

• Two main categories:

– Vegetative practices

– Structural BMPs

Land Use BMPs-Vegetative Practices

• Vegetative filtration: naturally filters surface water flow and reduces pollutant load

• Examples:– conservation areas or buffers– critical area plantings– grassed swales or berms– vegetated filter strips– grassed waterways

Conservation Areas or Buffers

• Areas where it is critical to maintain/establish natural perennial cover to protect resources.

• Usually directly adjacent to water sources since the most sensitivity is at the erodible edge

• Suggested specifications:– 25’ in width from fairways and tees– 50’ in width from greens– combinations of reduced width natural areas + roughs

Buffer Benefits

• Reduces erosion at water’s edge and reduces sediment pollution

• Intercept chemical pollutants in surface water coming from maintained turf areas

• Moderate temperature of incoming surface water

• Offer an area immediately adjacent to water where potential pollutants aren’t directly added

Golf Course BuffersColbert Hills

Critical Area Plantings

• Planting of vegetation on eroding or highly erodible areas

• Very important during course construction or earth-moving renovation projects

• May include the use of sod– e.g. Colbert Hills (wall to wall sod for fairways, tees,

and roughs) with steep slopes, shallow soils, and sensitive creeks running through the property

Critical Area PlantingsColbert Hills

Grassed Swales or Berms

• Added topographical features of a site that serve to divert surface runoff

• Can either promote movement of water away from wet sites or prevent water from leaving dry sites via surface movement

• Can attenuate surface runoff and erosion, particularly on sloped golf holes

Vegetated Filter Strips

• Natural or constructed flat areas which separate managed turfgrass areas from undisturbed areas

• Can be composed of grasses, woody plants, or trees

• To be effective as BMPs, filter strips should be at least 25’ wide and not exceed 15% slope– more slope, more the need for grasses instead of trees

Grassed Waterways

• Most useful in concentrated flow areas where erosion and/or surface runoff are significant concerns

• Often constructed and graded to receive certain amounts of flow

• Less effective at intercepting eroded sediment but can be a very effective “transition” areas between surface runoff sources and surface waters

“Non-grassed” & “Grassed” Waterways

Efficacy of Vegetative BMPs

• Total suspended solids in sampled surface water

• Data courtesy of US Environmental Protection Agency

Veg. Filter Strip Grass Swale

• Total phosphorus in sampled surface water

• Total nitrogen in sampled surface water

• Chemical oxygen demand in sampled surface water

Structural Land Use BMPs

• Designed or conserved features that control and/or filter surface or subsurface drainage water

• Examples:– directed subsurface drainage– water quality basins– wet retention ponds– protected wetlands and riparian zones– constructed wetlands

Directed Subsurface Drainage

• Used to reduce leaching and/or runoff from greens

• Can be used to manipulate a water table

• Directing drainage paths into vegetative areas or infiltration basins can control losses of nutrients or pesticides

Water Quality Basins

• Provide a “first line of defense” against pollutants in surface runoff

• Allow for settling of sediment and, with addition of certain plant materials, can also filter nutrients and pesticides

• Installed drainage beneath these basins can either be routed away after “filtration” or allowed to vertically drain and recharge groundwater.

Wet Retention Ponds

• More permanent collection areas for runoff allow high removal rates of pollutants – consistent plant and microbial populations

• Larger ponds are more efficient “scrubbers” of runoff water since there is more “clean” volume

• Provide recreation and habitats for wildlife

• May buffer streams from high storm input

Protected Wetlands and Riparian Zones

• Natural means of filtering runoff inputs

• Need to be minimally disrupted by landscaping and kept continuous to be most effective

• Provide habitats, attenuate flooding, stabilize erodible areas, and recharge groundwater

• Constructed ponds, basins, etc. need to be segregated from natural areas to preserve them

Constructed Wetlands

• Can support fauna and flora like natural wetlands but are specifically designed and positioned for water purification

• Highly effective for filtering nutrients and sediment or other particulate matter

• Often used “downstream” from equipment washpads

Efficacy of Land Use BMPs

• Total suspended solids in sampled surface water

Veg.FilterStrip

GrassSwale

Inf.Basin

WetPond

Wetland

• Total phosphorus in sampled surface water

Veg.FilterStrip

GrassSwale

Inf.Basin

WetPond

Wetland

• Total nitrogen in sampled surface water

Veg.FilterStrip

GrassSwale

Inf.Basin

WetPond

Wetland

• Chemical oxygen demand in sampled surface water

Veg.FilterStrip

GrassSwale

Inf.Basin

WetPond

Wetland

Land Use BMP Effectiveness

• How well land use BMPs remove pollutants is based on the following three interrelated factors:– removal mechanism employed by the BMP, including

physical interception, biological uptake or breakdown, and chemical breakdown

– fraction of runoff treated by the BMP– characteristics of the pollutant being removed

• Multiple land use BMPs offer the best chance of overall success

Summary: Land Use BMPs

• While entities like the EPA may not require all these measures yet, some are required in many sensitive watersheds and are likely on the way.

• Implementation of land use BMPs:– exacts a positive (or prevents a negative) impact– can proactively address possible future mandates – demonstrates to the media swayed public and to

regulatory or funding agencies that we’re on track

Goals of BMPs

• 1) Identify potential for and reduce or eliminate offsite transport of sediment, nutrient, and pesticides.

Source Prevention BMPs

• Proper irrigation: right time, frequency, & amount

• Proper fertilization and pesticide use: correct rates, types, and timings

• Monitoring water sources: pesticide, nutrient levels

Improper IrrigationWater can carry a lot with it!

Strategic Water Conservation

• Use of effluent (recycled, reclaimed, non-potable) irrigation water

• Concerns:– Effluent water quality (salts, sodium, nutrients, heavy

metals, particulate matter, pH changes)– Leaching salts from effluent treated soils

Benefits of Using Effluent Irrigation

• Not an absolute replacement for potable water– Potable water can be use to flush out unwanted salts

• Cost effectiveness– Less water treatment before use, less $$

• Future concerns:– Demand for potable water doubles every 20 years– Effluent water use may be mandated, not optional

Biological Soil and Water Conservation

• Turfgrass!! – Turf is an excellent soil stabilizer and is an efficient

user of water, especially certain species

• Mulch– Helps with soil water retention and stabilizes bare

ground

• Other plants– Can offer a buffer to prevent excessive surface

movement of water, soil, etc.

Water Conserving Turfgrasses

Bermudagrass

Tall fescue

Buffalograss

Zoysia

Turfgrasses Requiring More Water

Kentucky bluegrass Perennial ryegrass

Practical Considerations: Summer Turfgrass Water Requirements

• Most turfgrasses will perform better when irrigated. The distinction comes when a species can or can not survive without water.– Buffalograss can survive without any water.

– Bermuda and zoysia can survive extended time periods without water with limited visual impact.

– Tall fescue can survive reasonable amounts of time without water but will show signs of drought stress.

– Perennial ryegrass and bluegrass will die without water.

Good and Bad Soil Conservation

Not so good

Soil Conservation: How to Tell How You’re Doing During Grow-in

• Visual signs (previous slide)

• Testing water samples for sediment levels

• Changes in stream depth, direction changes

• Compositional changes in sediment collecting at the bottom of lakes, collection/irrigation ponds

Goals of BMPs

• 3) Control the rate, method, and types of inputs used (SP)

Types of Inputs

• Fertilizer– Natural and synthetic, pH modifiers

• Water– Natural and intentional (effluent water use)

• Pesticides– Herbicides, fungicides, insecticides

• Other– e.g. soil sterilants, fuel

Sloppy Fertilization“feast or famine”

Fertilizer Analysis• Sequence of three numbers that reflect the

percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium respectively.

What’s in the Bag?: Primary Turf Nutrients

• Nitrogen - Used for above-ground growth and good green color (soil mobile, nitrate contamination)

• Phosphorus - Used for root growth and formation of seeds and fruit (less mobile in soil but can contaminate watersheds like nitrate)

• Potassium - Used for basic plant growth and helps plants withstand stress (soil mobile)

Tips to Manage Fertilizer Input

• Determine exact amounts for specific areas

– Avoid the tendency to give the turf “a little extra”

• Avoid overshooting onto cart paths or parking

• Be as precise as possible with spreader spacing

Area Determination the Wrong Way150’

450’

150’

600’

Total:3.62 acres

Area Determination the Right Way

120’

250’120’550’

Total:2.32 acres

Area=(b*h)/2~100’x100’/2=5000 sq. ft.

Tips to Manage Irrigation Input

• Water in morning or evening to maximize turf use

• Try to minimize irrigation water hitting paved surfaces (surface runoff)

• Deep, infrequent irrigation instead of light, frequent irrigation, when possible!! (improves root system)

Irrigation Tips - Soil Wetting

Irrigation Tips - Turf Use

Irrigation Tips: Practical Considerations

• As shown previously, deep infrequent irrigation is ideal but only if root growth can match it.

• Golf greens in summer have declining root systems so irrigating too deep exceeds where the roots are.

Spring Summer Fall

Shoot growthRoot growthIrrigation amount

Tips to Manage Pesticide Input

• Know your pests! Improper diagnosis of a

problem can lead to unnecessary pesticide use.

• Let the pesticide do its job- Be patient!

• Avoid pesticides prone to drift

• Follow label specifications!!!

Improper Diagnosis

What caused this problem? Not disease or insects but dull mower blades. The solution should be a trip to the backlapper, not a pesticide.

Other: Petroleum Contaminationaka Gas Spill

Goals of BMPs

• 2) Use biological and mechanical soil and water conservation practices

Seminar Breakdown

What IPM Isn’t

• Impulsive Panic Mongering

• Contrary to what may be thought about IPM, it does not promote the proactive environmentalism that is often portrayed in the media and that has sometimes targeted golf courses

What is IPM?

• Integrated Pest Management

• Objectives:– Develop healthy turf that can withstand pest pressure– Use chemicals judiciously and efficiently– Enhance populations of natural, beneficial organisms– Tackle pest problems when pests are most vulnerable

IPM is Part of the BMP ‘Train’ Approach

Non ‘Train’ Approach ‘Train’ Approach

Integrated Pest Management

Green Drain Line

25’ Rough Buffer

25’ Natural Area

Green Drain Line

Six Basic Approaches to IPM

• Genetic *

• Regulatory *

• Cultural

• Physical

• Biological

• Chemical

* Represent IPM approaches at the planning stage, not active ways to manage pests

Planning Stage IPM

• Genetic approach:– Selecting improved turfgrass varieties which do well

in the Kansas climate and show resistance to both environmental stress and pest problems

• Regulatory approach:– Using certified seed, sod, or sprigs to optimize genetic

uniformity and prevent unwanted weed contamination

Genetic Approach: Blending Tips

• Overall quality of a blend will reflect the “lowest common denominator”– e.g. four good varieties with one poor one will appear

worse than five good ones

• Avoid the tendency to “use up” older or low quality seed if you blend yourself and watch for commercial blends which may do the same

Regulatory Approach: Seed Label** Look for % other crop seed, % weed seed, and % germination

Good Not so Good

Active IPM Approaches

• Cultural: proper mowing, irrigation, fertilization, and aerating make pest control much easier.

• Physical: hand weeding, cleaning mowers and tools to avoid spreading disease and weed seeds

• Biological: promoting natural pest predators (e.g. bird houses, bird baths)

Active IPM Approaches

• Chemical: often necessary but to supplement rather than replace other approaches

• Steps to take:– Identify the pest properly– Identify and correct site conditions promoting the pest– Implement other IPM approaches to augment pest control– Select a pesticide suitable for the pest– Apply the pesticide as directed and when the pest is most

vulnerable

Components of the IPM Approach

• Monitoring pest populations and their habitat

• Determining injury levels and establishing thresholds

• Deciding upon and implementing one or more of the six basic approaches

• Educating personnel about selected approaches

• Timing and applying selected treatments

• Evaluating the results of applied treatments

Seminar Breakdown

Four Types of Monitoring

1) Reconnaissance- periodic observations

2) Surveillance- in compliance with enforceable regulations (application record keeping)

3) ** Subjective- spot-checking for broad or open-ended exploration of problems (pest scouting)

4) ** Objective- to provide data for future decision making processes (environmental monitoring)

Pest Scouting: Pros and Cons

• Pros: – early detection of potential pest problems– regular structured observation of the course– builds experience and observation skills in the scout– long-term assessment of pest control in problem areas

• Cons: – requires staff time and effort– subjective approach may lead to misdiagnoses

Environmental Monitoring

• Indicates sources and extent of pollution and can be used as the basis for future decisions

• Three phases, related to golf course development:– Phase I: pre-development to provide background

levels of pollutants to compare later results to– Phase II: construction and immediate post-

development (most sensitive time for golf courses)– Phase III: normal operations testing (decision basis)

Environmental MonitoringPlaces to Measure

• Surface water

• Lake/pond sediments

• Ground water

• Each source should be sampled during dry and wet periods to avoid misleading results

Environmental MonitoringWater Quality Measurements

• pH- range from 6-8 OK for most aquatic organisms

• temperature- can vary vertically so sample carefully

• dissolved oxygen- necessary for aquatic organisms

• specific conductance- water salinity

• nutrients- N and P excesses promote algae, bacteria

• total dissolved solids- gives an idea of habitability

• turbidity- measure of suspended solids in water

• pesticides- choose most risky from your list

Nitrogen and Water Quality

Pristine waterMod. EnrichedEnrichedHighly enriched

Phosphorus and Water Quality

00.010.020.030.040.050.060.070.080.09

Pristine waterMod. EnrichedEnrichedHighly enriched

Phase I Environmental MonitoringBackground Information

• Prior to any course construction

• Minimum of two surface water sampling sites:– e.g. Point of entry and exit of golf course for a stream

• More sampling sites are desirable with surface water branches or unique drainage patterns

• Mark sampling sites for sampling in Phases II&III

• Spring, summer, and fall (dry and wet conditions)

Phase II Environmental MonitoringConstruction and Development

• Direct assessment of construction and immediate post-construction activities on water and sediment quality– Same sites and timings as for Phase I

• Like for Phase I, fertilizer or pesticide analysis not relevant for this stage of monitoring– Terminate when turf grow-in begins

Phase III Environmental MonitoringPost Development/Daily Operations

• Starting at grow-in and continuing at regular seasonal intervals to determine trends– Same sites as for Phases I & II, with relevant additions

• Includes – Nutrient and pesticide analyses for water– Includes soil testing for fertility requirements

• Sampling timings should be adjusted to coincide with fertilizer or pesticide applications

Phase III Environmental MonitoringPost Development/Daily Operations

Pesticide Selection

• Should be based upon:– Effectiveness– Economics– Environmental Impact– Site Characteristics– Safety

• One or more of these criteria are often ignored.

Pesticide Effectiveness

• Environmental concerns are indeed important

• However, first and foremost, IPM dictates we must select a pesticide that will actually work

• When environmental considerations are placed before effectiveness, we end up like Seattle

Pesticide Economics

• Several factors to consider:– Actual cost of pesticide (highly variable)– Labor costs (training, time spent mixing, physically

spraying, recording specs, cleaning up)– Frequency need for applications– Established pest thresholds (At what point does the

cost of the pesticide become less important than the “cost” of pest infestation?)

Environmental Effects of Pesticides

• Two main areas of concern:– Surface water

– Groundwater

• Numerous factors affect potential for pesticides to reach either of these areas

Pesticide Movement to Surface Water

• Usually via runoff• Depends on the following:

– Pesticide characteristics (solubility, adsorption, persistence)

– Soil characteristics (texture, permeability, water holding capacity, pH, organic matter content)

– Site conditions (slope, climate, proximity to water)– Management (pesticide selection, rates, timings,

application methods, irrigation management)

Pesticide Movement to Ground Water

• Usually via leaching• Depends on the following:

– Soil characteristics (texture, permeability, water holding capacity, pH, organic matter content)

– Pesticide characteristics (reactivity with soil, persistence, rate and timing of application)

– Site conditions (climate, depth to water table)– Management (irrigation management, pesticide

application method)

Pesticide Safety Environment and People

• Risk assessment:– It’s all relative, based upon our perception– We can approach risk in a structured fashion

• Risk = hazard*exposure– Hazard=probability that harm will result from

prescribed use– Exposure=extent (amount or frequency) of use

Risk from Pesticides and Pesticide Selection

• Can we conclude that reduced risk may come simply from using less hazardous pesticides, from reducing exposure to a given pesticide, or both?

• Yes, but:– How do we define baseline exposure levels and any

subsequent changes?– How do we define how hazardous a pesticide is?

Three Steps in Pesticide Selection

1) Identify pest problems• Experience and scouting

2) Identify potential pesticides• Experience and labels

3) **Fit pesticides to models to determine which ones meet effectiveness and environmental safety criteria (list formation)

Modeled Pesticide Parameters

• Acute toxicity- toxic effects over the short-term• Chronic toxicity- toxicity effects over the long-term• Aquatic toxicity (LC50)- chemical concentration in water

that kills 50% of test organisms• Terrestrial toxicity (LD50)- chemical concentration that

kills 50% of test organisms in an oral dose• Adsorption potential (KOC)- how well pesticide binds to

soil particles

Modeled Pesticide Parameters

• Field half-life (T1/2)- time required for 50% breakdown• Health advisory level (HAL)- amount of pesticide which

does no harm over a lifetime of consumption (70 yrs.)• Leaching potential- ease with which pesticide moves

through soil profile• Runoff potential- ease with which pesticide moves over

land surfaces• Maximum allowable concentration (MAC)- highest

surface water concentration safe for aquatic organisms

Interpretation of Pesticide Hazards

• Toxicity type parameters are of greatest interest when human contact and terrestrial or aquatic wildlife will receive exposure

• Toxicity and health related parameters should definitely be included in decision making processes for insecticides and fungicides

Interpretation of Pesticide Hazards

• For less toxic materials like herbicides, use of a “quadrant” model gives a good hazard indication.

Low hazard

potential

Moderate hazard

potential

Moderate hazard

potential

High hazard

potential

Low mobility High mobility

Short half-life

Long half-life

Recommended Pesticide Lists

• List all pesticides for certain pest categories (e.g. diseases) and their corresponding hazard potential

• Facilitate decisions as to whether or not a certain pesticide (even if it is registered by EPA) should be used on the golf course or perhaps in a specific area on the course

Pesticide Lists

• Should be developed based on the following four factors:– Pesticide characteristics (solubility, adsorption,

persistence)– Soil characteristics (texture, permeability, water holding

capacity, pH, organic matter content, depth to water table)

– Site conditions (slope, climate, proximity to water)– Management (pesticide selection, rates, timings,

application methods, irrigation management)

Ways to Reduce Pesticide Input

• Know your pests! – Improper diagnosis of a problem = unnecessary

pesticide use.

– Knowing pest characteristics allows for application

timing to be optimized

– Use pest life cycles to your advantage: hitting them

when they’re most vulnerable increases overall

effectiveness

Ways to Reduce Pesticide Input

• Follow label specifications!!!– Proper rates and specifications for application

– Proper timing of application

– Proper intervals between applications

– Proper conditions in which to apply pesticides

– Pitfalls which may diminish effectiveness

• These things may together help reduce inputs.

Summary

• The point of BMPs and IPM is not to foster criticism of how things are currently done but rather to promote “better” or “safer” ways to manage golf course inputs.

• Education is just as important a goal of BMPs as are all the specific steps previously covered. Awareness is the first step towards progress.

----------------The End---------------

Best Management Practices on the Golf Course Dr. Matt Fagerness KSU Turfgrass Extension.

bodies of water slide

property slide

water conservation practices

course management practices

ipm approach slide

sensitive areas step

drainage basin slide

conservation areas

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