The facts about golf course pesticides
Golf course benefits
- Community greenspaces that provide recreational opportunities and also offer and
enhance wildlife habitats.
- "Air conditioners" that produce vast amounts of oxygen while cleansing the air of
pollution and cooling the atmosphere.
- Water treatment systems: Healthy turfgrass is an excellent filter that traps and
holds pollutants in place; courses actually serve as catch basins for residential
and industrial runoff; many courses are effective disposal sites for effluent wastewater.
- Among the best ways to reclaim and restore environmentally damaged sites, such as
landfills.
- Businesses that contribute substantially to communities through employment, taxes,
property value improvement and enormous charitable support.
Modern pesticides
- Independent university research supports the fact that well-managed golf courses
do not pose significant risks to environmental quality, wildlife or human health.
- The modern pesticides and fertilizers used to maintain healthy golf course turf
have been thoroughly tested and are considered safe when used according to label
directions.
- A pesticide product today has typically undergone more than 120 studies at a cost
of $50 million before it is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Golf course superintendents are educated professionals who care about environmental sustainability
- Most of today's superintendents have college degrees and substantial continuing
education.
- Superintendents are the nation's leading practitioners of integrated pest management,
a philosophy that reduces the potential environmental risks of pesticide usage.
- Virtually all golf courses employ at least one state licensed pesticide applicator
who is trained in environmentally sound pesticide use.
