Enviro Blog: 3-Hole Location

This post is a part of the TRF 4100 environmental blog assignment

The 3-hole golf proposal is an exciting opportunity for Olds College. Up until recently, Olds College had a three-hole golf course on campus giving turf students a location to practice what they had been learning. However, a new high school has been built on that land. Also, the current location of the Prairie Turfgrass Research Centre (PTRC) is being replaced to build a hotel for students to take hospitality education. These are exciting opportunities for Olds College, but turf students have lost some of the hands on learning it used to have.

Well, that will change. There is a new proposal to build new plots for the PTRC and a new three-hole golf facility. The location is east of the Land Science Centre past the newly constructed wetlands. This is an exciting opportunity for students to not only learn maintenance practices, but also learn practical golf construction skills. The students will aid in construction of bunkers, greens, tees, and more on the golf course.




Future location of the 3-hole facility and the new PTRC plots, they will be built where the field is now

 

Enviro Blog: Naturalization and Wildlife

This post is a part of the TRF 4100 environmental blog assignment


Banff Springs - An example of naturalization


Despite how beautiful a golf course might look, it is hard to call it truly a natural place. When compared to an industrial plot it might seem that way, but in the end, it is a horticultural environment that is often artificially built and maintained by humans. This isn't a bad thing. Golf courses offer an escape from the city and often provide an oasis for animals and birds. The process of naturalization, the planting and growing of native species, on golf courses is becoming more popular. The Olds College 3-hole course will be looking to integrate this idea into the final design of the course.

Naturalization

Located in the mixedgrass region of Alberta, Olds College is known for its horticultural innovation. What better place to practice naturalization then here? The course will be designed to allow for areas of native grasses and plants. With these areas implemented from design, management and monitoring of these areas will be much easier compared to putting them in after construction.

These areas are often referred to as zero-maintenance, but this is not correct. Maintenance is often significantly reduced, yet some maintenance is still required. After the grass seed is given 3-4 years to establish, annual mowing practices may be put in place. This mowing will take place once a year after the grass has gone to seed. Mowing these areas helps reduce weed populations, remove dry grass (which can be a fire hazard), and encourage the grass to spread. Burning of native areas is an option and will be considered; however, the safety of golfers and the environment from potential damage caused by wildfires is a concern and the decision will be weighed with these parameters in mind.

There are several key areas where the use of native grasses can benefit a golf course. Due to their inability to be mowed short, they cannot be used in fairways and playable rough. However, areas outside of the rough, out-of-play areas, and areas beside bodies of water are potential locations. The following areas and the subsequent mixes chosen are suggested for their ability to thrive in those specified areas. These only apply for the south-east area of Alberta. Other areas may favor different species of grasses. Links are provided to demonstrate who provides these mixes. These areas could include the following mixes of native grass:

• Areas in play (Brett Young - Eco-Turf Blend)
• Creeping Red Fescue - 35%
• Sheep Fescue - 20%
• Chewsings Fescue - 25%
• Hard Fescue - 20%
•  Areas out of play (Brett Young - Mixedgrass Subregion Mix)
• Western Wheatgrass - 20%
• Slender Wheatgrass - 10%
• Northern Wheatgrass - 10%
• Green Needlegrass - 15%
• Blue Grama Grass - 15%
• Junegrass - 10%
• Indian Rice Grass - 10%
• Erosion control along areas of runoff (A Guide to Using Native Plants on Disturbed Lands)
• Needle and Thread Grass - 30%
• Blue Grama Grass - 20%
• Northern Wheat Grass - 20%
• Canadian Bluegrass - 15%
• Plains Reed Grass - 15%
• Buffer strips and riparian areas by bodies of water (Alberta Transportation)
• Slender Wheatgrass - 30%
• Canada Wildrye - 15%
• Mountain Brome - 15%
• Northern Wheatgrass - 10%
• Western Wheatgrass - 5%
• Indian Rice Grass - 5%
• Alkali Grass - 10%
• Neeldle and Thread Grass - 10%

How these spaces interact with golfers and wildlife will provide avenues of research and experimentation on the 3-hole course.

What are the benefits of naturalization? Check out what Audubon International has to say regarding the benefits of tall grass and the benefits of naturalization.

Wildlife Management

At the 3-hole course, we want to promote native wildlife in the area. Providin these naturalized areas will give animals shelter, habitat, and safe access to water. Research can be done to see what wildlife favors these native areas and how we can better encourage there presence. The following sheet will be used to observe wildlife presence on the course and will be updated by staff when a sighting is made.

Enviro Blog: Water Management

This post is a part of the TRF 4100 environmental blog assignment

Fresh water is an increasingly important commodity in our world. As fresh water sources become less available, societies are striving to increase our water efficiency and reduce pollution that goes into our rivers and lakes. Golf courses are often viewed as an unnecessary drain on our fresh water, and courses that used to rely on fresh water as an irrigation source are forced to find other means of irrigation. Wherever we get our water from, it is important to evaluate how we in the golf industry can reduce the water we use. There are several ways the Olds College 3-hole golf course can do this.

Equipment Wash Area

Every golf course has some designated area for rinsing and cleaning machines. Removing grass clipping from mowers and reels reduces wear on these machines and makes sure there ready to use for the next employee. However, a lot of water can be used during this process. We want to find a way to reduce or recycle this water and stop it from entering our environment and water ways. Many new systems of water recycling for golf courses are coming onto the market. They offer methods of removing grass clippings from equipment and putting the water through a microbial bath to eliminate toxins.

The company ESD Waste2Water offers some exciting innovations for wash pads and mixing areas.

Irrigation Water

The irrigation water to be used on the 3-hole development will be coming from the neighboring Olds College wetlands. This is an exciting project to see the efficacy of man-made wetlands and their use in filtering water. Water will enter the wetlands and be put through a series of canals to filter the water. The water will then flow to a holding pond and will be available for use on the 3-hole course. This is just another way we will be practicing environmental stewardship and water recycling.

Best Management Practices

The following BMPs will be implemented for the 3-hole course and are practiced and recorded regularly:

• Water will be tested monthly. Areas to be tested are any water entrance points and exit points on the site, as well as any major holding ponds.
• If water pH is high, the use of acid injection and sulphur burning can be used to lower pH.
• In the case of high salts, a program of gypsum applications timed with rainfall will be introduced to reduce salts and improve turf health.
• In the case of algae forming on the water and a reduction in oxygen in the water, a fountain can be added to improve aeration in the water.
• The use of variable frequency drive pumps will be used. This allows for effective management of the amount of water that is pumped onto the course and reduces irrigation system wear.
• Irrigation audits can be performed regularly by the Olds College students to test the efficacy of rotors and nozzles on the course.

Envrionmental Blog

As a part of our final project for TRF 4100 - Environmental Management for Golf Courses, we are making an environmental blog. This blog will demonstrate our knowledge of environmental practices that can be applied to golf courses. Since I already have a blog, I thought I would incorporate this into what I already have made. I have added an environmental page to the blog, and this page will contain all information, posts and articles related to this assignment.

It's Been Awhile

Well, it's time to get this blog going again.

I have finished my season at Capilano Golf and Country Club and am back in school at Olds College. My time at Capilano was amazing. I am extremely thankful for the chance I had to be a part of the team there and the chance to lead from some astounding individuals in the industry. I will be putting up soon an article I wrote for the Capilano newsletter summing up my time spent there this summer.

I am now taking the Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Golf Course Management. The first semester is quickly coming to a close as projects are due and exams are written. Here is a quick summary of the classes we have taken.

TRF 4100 - Environmental Management for Golf Courses
Our only turf specific course this semester. We explore golf and its relation to the environment and where there has been success and failure in the past. We talk about Audubon International's Cooperative Sanctuary Program and its potential benefits and we use those principles to create environmental management plans for our golf courses.

BHO 3300 - Project Management Principles
What is a project? What steps are involved? How do you successfully complete one on time and what tools are available? This class teaches how to plan and perform large scale projects using the current industry tools available to us.

BHO 4710 - Ethics and Pest Management
Sure, you control your pest, but are you doing it ethically? Are your practices harming others or even yourself? In this class we are challenged in the way we view management decisions and how our choices can have a lasting effect.

BHO 3100 - Research Methods
Research, not my favorite thing, but it is important. We are taught how to understand scientific research and how to undertake our own successfully.

BAS 3999 - Self-Directed Learning
This class is all about lifelong learning, developing our competencies, and presenting our abilities in the job market. This class goes for both semesters and leads into our directed field study in the fourth year.

Well, that’s all for now. I hope to start updating this a little more regularly from now on.
Cheers.