Outside Reflection Bay Golf  course the sign reads ‘Golf course closed until further notice’ – it’s a sight that’s becoming more and more common these days. The golf industry has been hit with the recent economic downturn. The number of rounds being played is down, new course construction has been delayed and golf course staff are getting laid off. The turf industry is forced to get creative and find new ways to do more with less.

As expectations grow and budgets fall, superintendents are forced to cope by finding new solutions to old problems.  New maintenance practices and innovative thinking are the weapons of today’s superintendent. Communication has become in integral skill for superintendents; the ability to talk about common problems on turf forums like SuperintendentSite.com is helping the problem. 

While the recession can’t last forever, it is important to use the knowledge gained when times were tough to increase profits, promote the game of golf while still maintaining the quality of play the golfer expects. In 2000 there were over 400 new courses opened while in 2008 that number dropped to a mere 72.

I believe that through adversity the industry will come out stronger that ever and we will experience prosperous times once again.

It’s a crisp morning when I pull up to the maintenance shop at Cardinal Golf Club (http://cardinalgolfclub.com/). It’s only five o’clock but my mind is racing about the fairways I have to mow, the dry spot on 14 green that needs water and the crater sized divots that need to be filled; it’s just a regular day on the course. Recently golf courses have come under fire from environmentalists claiming that they’re effects on the environment outweigh the benefits delivered to the public. In an article by Joan Lowy (http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/golf042604.cfm) she outlines some of the environmental concerns golf courses should be aware of.

There are 35,000 golf courses in the world covering nearly 4 million acres – quite the ecological footprint. With pesticide use, water consumption and wildlife relocation to take into account golf courses remain on the forefront of controversy. Superintendents have been trying to mitigate the strain on the environment by developing eco-friendly pesticides, creating new grass varieties and in one case, building the first 100% percent organic golf course.

As we become more aware of our environment and our impact on it,  the golf course industry needs to follow suit. While currently steps are being made in the right direction I believe it will take some time before all the implications are known. With the upcoming pesticide ban and no clear solution to fill the void, it may take some time before golf courses go green. While current alternative solutions have yet to be proven, only time will tell what the turf industry of the future looks like.