With reliance on foreign oil sources resulting in a roller coaster ride wrought with unexpected turns and sporadic fuel prices, the Propane Education and Research Council and R&R Products are working together on a demo program in which propane-powered equipment is used for a year on eight golf course operations around the country.
Courses participating in the program include Stone Mountain (Georgia) Golf Club, Fernandina Beach (Florida) Golf Club, Marriott Desert Springs in Palm Desert, California, Renaissance Vinoy (St. Petersburg, Florida), Columbus (Ohio) Municipal Golf Courses, Reston (Virginia) National Golf Course, George W. Dunne National (Oak Forest, Illinois) and Willow Run Golf Course (Redmond, Washington). Each course is an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary golf course or is in the final stages of completing requirements for the program. In fact, six of the eight courses were recommended for the alternative fuel program by Audubon International.
According to the Propane Education and Research Council, propane is nontoxic, colorless and virtually odorless (an identifying odor is added so it can be detected) and has been recognized as a clean energy alternative since the Clean Air Act was signed into law in 1990.
Each course will receive four pieces of propane-powered equipment from R&R Products, including a Reel Max 331LP finish cut reel mower, Reel Max 744LP five-gang fairway mower, Versa Green 2200 riding greens mower and a Sand Max 521LP utility vehicle.
R&R says it is the first company to manufacture propane-powered turf equipment for the golf industry.
The courses will receive equipment through March 2015. R&R Products will oversee the manufacturing, distribution, and periodic maintenance of the propane mowers. PERC will meanwhile serve as a resource in helping courses establish relationships with local propane providers, and Audubon International will assist in evaluating the program's impact on overall sustainability efforts.