Years of work by turfgrass researchers on behalf of golf course superintendents managing some of the country's most revered courses finally has come to fruition.
Recently, the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association published its Best Management Practices for Carolinas Golf Courses, a nearly 300-page text that provides a turf management blueprint for hundreds of superintendents in North Carolina and South Carolina. The publication was co-authored by researchers from Clemson University and North Carolina State University."We are extremely proud of this manual and what it stands for," says new Carolinas GCSA president Adam Charles of The Preserve at Verdae in Greenville, South Carolina. "It is an excellent reference tool for superintendents, but just as importantly it clearly demonstrates just how committed we are to the environmental and economic sustainability of the game. The two go hand in hand."
"They will see from their very first glance just how seriously we take our responsibilities, not just to our facility but to the surrounding community," Charles said. "The vast majority of superintendents are already conversant with the contents of the manual. It will serve as an excellent reference for them. But it will be an eye-opener for many others I'm sure."
The collaborative efforts of authors Bert McCarty, Ph.D., of Clemson and Jim Kerns, Ph.D., of North Carolina State are reflective of an industry-wide spirit in the region, said Bill Kennedy CGCS at Chechessee Creek Club in Okatie, South Carolina, and a past chapter president.
"For the professors at these two institutions to work so closely together on this is a tribute to their professionalism and their commitment to the work we do," Kennedy said. "We see that spirit play out all the time whether it's from our industry partners on the sales and service side or amongst our members helping each other out as they did with the recent hurricane. It's something very special."
The cost of the project was offset by funds raised through the Rounds 4 Research program that generates funds by selling donated tee times online. Manuals were delivered in November to superintendents and their assistants throughout both states.