Environmentally-friendly Golf Courses By Jessica Conrad
Description and Rationale
Water Conservation on Golf Courses
Golf courses provide great recreation for many. They provide exercise, enjoyment, and job opportunities. But they provoke a big problem for those around the golf courses, and for those who maintain it. The courses need large amounts of water to keep their grounds nice and green. With the need for water some big problems are caused by the golf courses. One common problem that golf courses face is that there is not enough natural water to supply the constructions of the golf courses. This is just one of the many problems that are being faced daily.
Is there a way to preserve water and maybe even recycle this natural resource? Can golf courses, such as Valley Golf Golf Course, save money? Is there any way to be able to save water, but still have green grounds?
A few stateside golf courses have already realized that there is a water problem. They have said that it was a hassle to have to irrigate such a large ground area, and that the trouble of importing clean water from a water plant wastes money, and time. These golf courses assume that you have to import their water and do not know how to conserve their water and money.
The purpose of this project is to research and understand fully the problem with water shortages, and how water can be preserved on golf courses. Hopefully in the process, some solutions may emerge. Most research will be done through Internet articles and maybe an interview with the Valley Golf Golf Course Business Manager.
It is hoped that through this project a solution can be found, that is both beneficial to the golf course business but also preserve the water around it.
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Biology
Common Names and Synonyms
Cynodon dactylon is known to most golfers as “the green”. It is the grass that covers most golf fairways. Other names include Bermuda Grass, Dog's Tooth Grass, Bahama Grass, Devil's Grass, Couch Grass, Indian Doab, Grama, and Scutch Grass. The more common name to Americans, Bermuda Grass, is derived from its abundance as an invasive species in Bermuda.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering Plants
Class: Liliopsida – Monocotyledons
Order: Poales – Flowering Plant
Family: Poaceae – Grass Family
Genus: Cynodon – Dog Tooth
Species: C. dactylon – Bermuda Grass (dactylon- from the Greek daktylos, meaning “finger” or “toe”)
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Morphology and Physical Description
The blades of this grass are a grey-green color. They are short, usually 4-15 cm long, and have rough edges. The stems can grow up to 30 cm tall. The stems are slightly flattened, often tinged purple in color. The seed heads are produced in a cluster of three to seven spikes together at the top of the stem (often resembling the digits of the human hand, which explains the Greek root of its name). Each spike is about three to six cm long. The seeds are ovoid, and are about 1.5 mm long. They also have a yellow to reddish coloring. C. dactylon has a deep root system. In a drought situation, the roots can grow to two meters deep. Most of the root mass is less than 60 cm under the surface. Like most grasses, C. dactylon dies in the winter and becomes dormant and brown.
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Getting Food
C. dactylons use photosynthesis to get their food. Photosynthesis is the process by which living organisms convert energy into chemical energy. The process starts with the raw materials carbon dioxide and water. The energy is provided by sun light, and the end products are oxygen and energy -rich carbohydrates. C. dactylons grow best in full sun, not near trees or shade. It is in leaf all year, in flower from August to October, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The plant can grow in very diverse conditions of soil and moisture. It can withstand drought well, but it also tends to eliminate other plants. Because it spreads rapidly, rooting at the nodes, it can become difficult to eradicate and can be a serious weed in cultivated land. It tolerates an annual precipitation of 9 to 429 cm, an annual temperature range of 5.9 to 27.8ºC, and a pH range of 4.3 to 8.4. Bermuda grass tolerates a broad pH range, but grows best when the pH is above 5.5. It tolerates low fertility soil, and is shade intolerant. Though the plant can withstand low fertility, it is best for the fertility to be higher. A minimum of 10kg/ha of Nitrogen fertilizer per month of growth is required for moderate to high productivity. The salinity tolerance of C.dactylon is low; it can only tolerate the salinity of irrigated water.
Reproduction
C. dactylons reproduce through seeds. The flowers of the plant are hermaphrodite, or have both female and male organs, and are pollinated by wind. The seed should be planted ¼ - ½ inch deep, and should be cast broadly and then raked/rolled. When being propagated, C.dactylon should be sown in the spring and just covered by a thin layer of dirt. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. The seeds should be replanted into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grown in a greenhouse for their first winter. Division should be in late spring.
C. dactylons use runners and rhizomes to help with the reproduction process. Runners are shoots that grow horizontally with long internodes that grow either under or above ground, and sometimes have leaves. The internodes on the runners sometimes have roots at the part that is nearest to the main shoot. Rhizomes are mostly underground and grow horizontally. They are very enduring shoots and have short internodes. They are used as survival organs and are also used for storage. Rhizomes don’t have many leaves except the small scale- like leaves. The rhizomes are strong and stout, and they branch and spread rapidly.
Environmental Factors
C. dactylons grow best in warm climates all over the world, usually between 30º south and 30º north latitudes. They also do well with a rainfall of 25-69 inches a year. They grow well in tropical and warm temperate areas. Temperatures of -2 to -3ºC usually kill the leaves and stems, but the rhizomes survive and regrow in the spring.
C. dactylon is as abundant as a weed, along roadsides, in lawns, on sandy wastes, and along sand dunes. It readily takes possession of any uncultivated area.
This grass adapts best in areas along water ways or places with an easy water access. It also has a tolerance against high heat. Although it might seem to be a great grass for an environment like the Philippines, it does have some negative qualities. It is known for being highly aggressive, crowding out most other grasses, and invading other habitats. This invasive nature has lead some gardeners to call it “devil grass”. It has also been known to have an adverse effect on clover seed germination and photosensitizing in animals. It is potentially toxic to livestock, and can be a major cause of hayfever.
Some of the pests that affect the grass are armyworms, and spittlebugs; they are the major insects that attack C.dactylon. They are also known to be carrier of rust and Helminthosporium leaf-spot, but could be helpful for suppressing weeds.
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Origin and Distribution
The origin of C. dactylon is thought to be east Africa, where it is found to be widely distributed from sea level to 2,160 meters altitude. It can now be found throughout the world in temperate and tropical regions. In temperate zones it grows along sea coasts. In India it can be found up to a 2600-m altitude. Many scientists believe that C. dactylon was transferred here by ships that was transporting grain and wheat, getting the seeds of the C. dactylon mixed with the bags.
Importance to People
C. dactylon is tough and fast growing, which makes it popular for sports fields. When it is damaged it recovers quickly. It is very popular in high temperature climates for its heat and drought tolerance, which allows it to survive where few grasses can. Bermuda grass is reported to have many medical uses, including use as an alternative anabolic, antiseptic, and astringent. A part of the root is used as a diuretic in the treatment of dropsy and secondary syphilis, and to stop bleeding from piles. The plant’s juice is used as an astringent and is applied externally to fresh cuts and wounds. Internally it is used as a treatment for chronic diarrhea and dysentery. It has also been used to control hysteria, convulsions, and insanity. Many folk recipes that call for C.dactylon claim that it is a remedy for cancer, cough, cramps, hemorrhage, kidney stones, snakebites, sores, measles, and much more. Its use is not just limited to the medical field. It is also used as biomass, ground cover, for soil stabilization, grazing, and is a popular turf grass. While there are a few areas in the world, such as Nepal and Africa, where people have superstition beliefs about the powers of this plant, there don’t appear to be any superstitions connected with it in the Philippines. My conclusion is that C. dactylon is perfect for a golf course environment, and more golf club developers would do well to pursue it as a suitable ground covering. They would, though, have to keep a careful eye on its spread so that it would not invade areas outside the course.
Survivability and Endangered Status
The status of Bermuda Grass is not in any danger, although some of the resources that sustain it are beginning to become more scarce in some places. This grass can grow twice its population in little over a year in the right environment. It is considered to be an invasive species in Bermuda and in some southern states in the U.S., due to its tolerance of high heat. In the Philippines it is known for its sturdiness, but also as a stubborn plant. Where it is useful for holding soil and reducing soil erosion, people appreciate it. But where it has invaded, people tend to fight it aggressively.
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Potential Solutions
Finding sources of fresh water is becoming a source of concern. Here in the Philippines, you can see the big water trucks coming down the highways so that squatter villages can have water to drink. A lot of fresh water is being used, not for the livelihood of the squatter people, but for the well being of golf courses. Golf courses use tons of gallons of water every year just for one hole. Would it be possible for golf courses to reduce the amount of water they use and still maintain their greens? Below are three possible solutions to this problem, with the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Possibility 1
Golf courses could use less water by irrigating only their tee and putting areas, and still have a strong income. Golf courses in high heat, and low humidity areas, like Arizona, have already established themselves to be target golf courses. There is even one here in the Philippines that is a target golf course.
Advantages
1. Construction cost is 1/5 that of the cost of the normal golf course, letting the managers retain more money.
2. Target golf courses use 1/6 the amount of water used by most normal golf courses. This conserves both water and money of the golf courses.
3. It is much easier to light up the given area of green, for the target green areas are a regulation 3,000 square feet size as opposed to greens of up to 15,000 square feet on the regular course.
Disadvantages
1. If there is already a normal golf course there, it is expensive and hard to change into a target golf course. A lot of time and money is used in the process. Some golf courses cannot shut down their golf courses to start the construction because their greens are constantly in use. They could easily lose costumers from a construction project like this.
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Possibility 2
The Philippines used to have many fresh water sources, but they have been abused by pollution to the point where people cannot drink much of it or bathe in it. Many people import their drinking water from companies here in Manila, but what can we do with the natural water from the rivers and bays that is full of trash and pollution? The Valley Golf Golf Course has already started to use that used water through their irrigation system. They pump their disposable water from the river running through Valley Golf. Using grey water from the sinks in the country club kitchens would be a good way to recycle their water and be more environmentally friendly. Instead of dumping kitchen sink water or locker room shower water into the sewer system, they could send it through a simple filtering system that screens out chunks of food and trash and divert it to the irrigation system.
Advantages
1. River water is free so there is no fee for delivery.
2. They pump the water straight from the river, so there is no waiting. They do not purify the water, but they do filter out the trash and other bigger things so that the sprinkler system does not get clogged.
3. It contains a higher concentrate of nitrogen, phosphorus, and oxygen which help fertilize plants when used for irrigation.
4. Although phosphates stay in the soil permanently, there are not enough phosphates in soaps from the sink water to kill the grass, but there are enough to act as a natural pesticide.
Disadvantages
1. There are pathogens that can pass through purification and can cause harm to humans and animals.
2. People also face a psychological barrier when thinking of playing on a field that is watered with river water that might contain sewage.
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Possibility 3
Rain water is nature’s choice of water. It is what God gave the earth to grow with naturally. Here in the tropics we are not without rain during rainy season and even the random rainstorms during summer. Collecting this water and using it during dry seasons when water is hard to find would be easy here in the Philippines.
Advantages
1. It is a good way to contain water and have a nice view for your golf course. Most golf courses already have ponds so it would be easy to pump water from the rain filled pond.
2. Most rain water has the perfect pH level and chemical balance for growing plants, and is also free.
Disadvantages
1. There is a problem with erosion into the ponds which could cause irrigation build up and the golf course could end up having to replace the whole irrigation system which would cost more money than is saved.
2. When it rains, raindrops bring different chemicals and pollutants down with them that can actually cause plants to die. After the grass dies because of the pollutants, the chemicals then stay in the soil causing the soil not to grow grass for a while.
As my action step I went out to the Valley Golf Golf Course to interview and educate the staff of the country club. I met up with their Chief Grounds Engineer, Vic Piamonte. I talked with him about how they got their water and was surprised on how environmentally friendly they are. We talked about their irrigation system, and how it is pumped from the river, their well system, and how they only import water for human consumption. I shared with him some ways I had found to conserve the water even further. He was very helpful and clear when answering my questions. We went out onto the course to talk about problems he had with his pump and irrigation system. There was much to discuss and I believe that I gave him some useful information and ideas for conserving water. Here are some of the ways that they conserve their water: Their water comes from the river; they do not irrigate during typhoon season or when it is raining; they use rotation watering (certain sections of the golf course are irrigated at a time, not all at once); wells are established for their locker room showers and toilets; and they water during cool times of the day when the water is less likely to evaporate. The Valley Golf Golf Course uses about 18 gallons times 50 heads for 15 minutes, there are 15 – 20 stations of sprinklers per hole, and they have two golf courses that are about 30 hectares each. Here is a chart to show the difference in gallons of water used here at Valley Golf compared to most US courses.
Gallons used Daily* Gallons used Annually**** Gallons per hole
Valley Golf Golf Course*** 243,000 8,869,500 13,500
Most US Golf Courses*** 312,000 113,880,000 17,333
*for 18 holes
**waters for only about 9 months out of the whole year (does not water during rainy season)
***water every day for 12 months (waters on rainy days)
****used 365 days in equation just to make it fair
Biblical Rationale
Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” We inherited the responsibility given to humankind to take care of what God created. God gave us the earth, trusting us to take care of everything that he created. That is why he will hold us accountable for whether or not we do all we can to take care of the earth. Matthew 12:36 says, “…men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” If God is going to judge us for the careless words we speak, what about our careless actions? We will be judged even more for every careless action we do. In parables like the story of the three servants in Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus teaches that God expects us to be responsible in caring for what belongs to our Master. If we are careless with all the wonderful natural resources God gave us and do not take care of the earth now, how will we be able to explain ourselves to God?
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Bibliography
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Joyner, Joel. "Volunteer 'regulators' maintain private golf course at Dinosaur Dunes in western Kansas". Golf Course News. March 2002. FindArticles.com. 01 May. 2008.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4031/is_200203/ai_n9027097
Piamonte, Vic. Personal interview. 2 May 2008.
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