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With around 800 members, the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association is one of the largest affiliated chap- ... the use of nutrients and pesticides, the potential for erosion and sedimentation, water conservation, and emerging concerns related to pollinators. Each area is described briefly below and addressed throughout this document.
In 1991 the USGA initiated a three-year study to investigate the fate of pesticides andfertilizers applied totwf undergolf courseconditions, develop alternative (non-chemical) methods ofpest control, and determine theimpact ofgolf courses onpeople and wildlife. This issue of the Green Section Record contains the results of the 11 university research projects
Jun 12, 2019 · Pesticides remain widely used to keep parks, playgrounds, playing fields — and golf courses — pristine, polished and preened. That manicured aesthetic and its potential consequences are examined in the 78-minute film, which currently is screening across the United States and Canada.
The Pesticide Program enforces state and federal laws pertaining to the use and application of pesticides. Under the Georgia Pesticide Use and Application Act, this program monitors the use of pesticides in a variety of pest management situations including commercial farming, lawn care/landscaping, forestry, public health, right-of-way, etc.
The Pesticide Specialist explained that pesticides are used on golf courses and other recreational areas to maintain the health and appearance of the turf. James learned that most golf courses have highly trained golf course superintendents who manage the course, including turf management and pest control strategies.
“Golf course superintendents utilize pesticides as part of a system of integrated pest management (IPM) to control pests and maintain healthy turf,” the association told FairWarning. “The latest technology in application equipment is used on golf courses which allows for precise application of pesticides.”Jun 12, 2019
Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide used extensively in the agricultural industry, as well as on golf courses, green houses, and as mosquito adulticide.May 14, 2018
Paraquat has been used on golf courses, however paraquat use on golf courses is currently banned. This means, however, that golf course groundskeepers, golfers, and those living near golf courses may have been exposed to a potentially dangerous herbicide that has been linked to Parkinson's disease.
Golf course turf receives adequate nutrients from regular fertilizing. Fertilizers typically contain a balance of potassium and nitrogen, which helps the grass stay strong, even when it's subjected to extreme temperature and heavy traffic.May 18, 2016
There are a number of insecticides that are very effective against adult mosquitoes and are labelled for use on golf courses. Pyrethroids, such as products containing bifenthrin, deltamethrin or lambda-cyhalothrin, are especially effective at controlling mosquitoes while also providing good residual activity.Jun 17, 2016
For warm season turfgrass, Certainty, Sedgehammer, Celero, or Monument herbicides are effective. For resistance management and improved control, mix the aforementioned herbicides with Dismiss and/or Basagran T/O herbicides. For cool season turfgrass, Sedgehammer, Dismiss, or Basagran T/O works well.May 18, 2019
Greens, the most closely mowed areas of grass on the course, are where the hole is located and players putt. Greens can vary depending on the conditions of the course. For example, in hot, dry conditions, a green will play faster than usual and approach shots will be less likely to hold on the green.
Instead, it is a substance called SARGE, which is a green, UV-blocking pigment. Think of it as a sunscreen mixed with tanning oil, but for plants! Far from being harmful, SARGE actually lowers the environmental impact of lawn maintenance.
Roundup — also known as glyphosate — and paraquat are both herbicides, but they contain different chemicals. Paraquat is more poisonous than glyphosate and is 28 times more acutely toxic, according to a report by the Pesticide Action Network.Apr 27, 2021
Paraquat is a restricted use pesticide that certified pesticide applicators can only apply. Therefore, it is illegal to use this herbicide in the United States for non-commercial purposes. Paraquat use can be very hazardous to humans if ingested, inhaled, or contacts the skin.Nov 18, 2021
Paraquat is a toxic chemical that is widely used as an herbicide (plant killer), primarily for weed and grass control. In the United States, paraquat is available primarily as a liquid in various strengths.
“Golf course superintendents utilize pesticides as part of a system of integrated pest management (IPM) to control pests and maintain healthy turf ,” the association told FairWarning.
Wilson said that, during that time, managers were “essentially mass-spraying golf courses.”. “Then, move ahead to 2001, and in the same magazine they celebrate Rachel Carson,” he said in an interview. “The industry has changed their practices. They’ve become more targeted with the way they use chemicals.”.
Golf Association to develop a program called Green Section for “the widespread dissemination of scientific knowledge of value, not only to golf clubs, but millions of owners of lawns and growers of grass all over America.”.
In the beginning of his book, “ The Greening of Golf ,” Wilson cites a 1964 issue of a magazine for golf course superintendents that includes what he called a “scathing review” of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” the 1962 book largely credited with spurring the modern environmental movement.
Known as “cosmetic pesticides,” these chemical products may be the same used for agricultural purposes or to thwart the spread of disease, but the ban was aimed at halting their use for ae sthetics only. An exemption from the ban was granted for golf courses. But golf courses must disclose the chemicals they use.
After his father died in 2014, Nisker began to take a closer look at just what in his father’s life may have contributed to his disease. His sleuthing uncovered a 2011 annual report from his father’s former golf course, detailing the pesticides that had been applied over the course of that year.
First Name. Last Name. While there is no way to directly connect his pesticide exposure to his disease, one form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Nisker said he became “highly suspicious” of the possible role of pesticides after learning about the array of products used on his father’s golf course.
The Pesticide Specialist explained that pesticides are used on golf courses and other recreational areas to maintain the health and appearance of the turf. James learned that most golf courses have highly trained golf course superintendents who manage the course, including turf management and pest control strategies.
The most likely way for golfers to be exposed is through direct skin contact with the turf, such as on bare hands, arms, and lower legs.
James decided to call the National Pesticide Information Center for more information about pesticide use on golf courses.
The Pesticide Specialist also said that James could contact the golf course superintendent to find out what pesticides are typically applied to the course. He could also learn about practices they may use to help reduce pesticide exposure:
Wearing golf shoes and socks that cover the ankles. Wearing pants or longer socks to cover the lower legs. Consider wearing gloves and/or be sure to wash hands after golfing, before eating or smoking.