Divot Mix

"Score itself is neither important nor unimportant. If you can find that place where it's neither important nor unimportant, you're playing golf with real freedom." -- Joseph Parent, author of "Zen Golf"

Golf industry survey shows rounds up in 2005

Despite concerns of declining rounds at golf courses across the country, 60 percent of golf industry leaders reported an increase in rounds played in 2005, according to the 2006 Golf Industry Outlook Survey by Foley & Lardner LLP.

The survey, conducted in April of 2006, was distributed to 700 top executives within the golf industry. A total of 112 surveys were returned, representing a 16 percent response rate. Respondents included general managers (52 percent), owner/operators (30 percent), and architects/developers (18 percent).

Collectively, the respondents represent more than 150 golf courses spread throughout the country with a majority of respondents located in the Southeast (34 percent) and Midwest (27 percent).

For the first time in five years the majority of respondents reported more overall rounds in 2005 after experiencing declines from 2001 to 2004. The Southeastern United States experienced the steepest rebound in 2005 of any region surveyed, as one in four respondents cited increases of up to 20 percent.

"Our survey indicates that rounds have begun to rebound across the country and emerge from a four-year decline," said Fred Ridley, co-chairman of Foley's golf and resort industry team. "More importantly, this broad-based rally has continued among the majority of facilities throughout the country during the first half of 2006."

The survey found that golf course executives had concerns over water resources and pesticide regulation.

Despite the fact that two-thirds of respondents said they are not currently implementing water reduction programs, the issue of water resources ranked as the top environmental issue facing golf courses today followed closely by pesticide regulation.

In addition, 70 percent of respondents said that they are concerned or very concerned with the impact of proposed pesticide bans and increased regulation.

While only one in 10 considered themselves actively involved in regulatory issues affecting the industry, 83 percent said they remain "generally informed" but not actively involved in regulatory matters.

Additional survey findings are available online.

Record numbers for "Take Your Daughter to the Course Week"

Moms, dads and daughters turned out in record numbers for the seventh annual Take Your Daughter to the Course Week.

The number of participants increased 14 percent – from just over 64,000 in 2005 to 74,490 this year – and the number of host courses also grew 14 percent – from 1,063 last year to 1,242 during the July 10-16 promotional period, according to the National Golf Course Owners Association.

"Parents are obviously interested in helping their daughters enjoy the same opportunities boys have to make golf a part of their lives," said Mike Hughes, chief executive officer of the NGCOA, which sponsors Take Your Daughter Week as part of The PGA of America's Play Golf America player development program. "We're excited to see this program continuing to gain popularity and closing the gender gap between boys and girls in golf."

"People around here have really started looking forward to it," said Stacy Pickavance, assistant general manager of The Bridges in San Ramon, Calif., where 70 young girls and adults participated in the program. "Fathers especially like it as a way to get their daughters interested in a game they're interested in and spend time together."

There are approximately 3 million junior golfers between the ages of 12 and 17 in the U.S., but of that number only about 17 percent are girls. The NGCOA developed Take Your Daughter to the Course Week to support its members and help grow overall participation in golf. Participating courses offered free green fees and clinics to young girls who were accompanied by a paying adult.

"Take Your Daughter to the Course is a prime example of golf's allied associations coming together under the NGCOA's leadership to reach more golfers with innovative, sustaining programs," said Roger Warren, president of The PGA of America.

The PGA of America, PGA-USGA Girls Golf, the LPGA and the Executive Women's Golf Association are supporting sponsors of Take Your Daughter to the Course Week. PGA Tour professional Brad Faxon, the father of four daughters, was this year's national spokesperson.

Golf 20/20 to initiate impact study program

Golf 20/20, in agreement with SRI International, is developing a standardized framework for analyses quantifying the impact of golf on the economy of a state.

The first assessment and report to be developed within this framework will be for the state of Virginia, represented by the Virginia Golf Council, a statewide alliance of golf organizations.

The need for such reports was magnified in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when golf in the Gulf Coast region was denied federal tax relief in the effort to rebuild, since golf was grouped with such businesses as massage and tattoo parlors. It is believed that had Louisiana and Mississippi had credible reports accurately quantifying the impact and importance of golf to the state's economy, the outcome might have been different.

"Because of what happened in the gulf region we wanted to find a way by which all states could affordably receive reports, in standardized formats, quantifying golf's economic impact," said Ruffin Beckwith, executive director of Golf 20/20.

SRI and Golf 20/20 will collaborate on the development of a master framework, a model that can accept data provided by state and federal sources and quantify total economic impact. The process will be based on SRI's innovative Industry Cluster Model, and will include a wide range of components, including golf's impact on real estate, travel and tourism.

Economic impact studies have been developed for several states in the past, but they all use different definitions and assumptions. The new approach will allow for cross-state comparisons using a common methodology.

An environmental component will be included in the survey. States will be directed to include data either from existing information, or from GCSAA's Golf Course Environmental Profile funded by The Environmental Institute for Golf.

"People tend to think of golf as green fees and equipment sales, when its true impact is so much broader," said John Mathieson, director for SRI's Center for Science, Technology and Economic Development. "We believe our model will provide each state with a tool that will serve their interests well in various public forums."

The master framework will be completed in time for review by industry leaders at the Golf 20/20 conference Oct. 30 and 31, and the Virginia report will be completed by the end of the year. Discussions are underway with several other states.

Once completed, all reports will be available at http://www.golf2020.com.

MAA Research Task Force disagrees with EPA

The MAA Research Task Force has announced that it disagrees with a proposed Re-registration Eligibility Decision document issued by the U.S. EPA regarding the organic arsenicals MSMA, DSMA, CAMA and cacodylic acid.

Members of the task force include Drexel Chemical Co. (APC Holdings), KMG-Bernuth Inc. and Luxembourg-Pamol Inc. These companies are global providers of products to the turf care and agricultural industries.

The Task Force believes that crop and turf uses of these products meet both the Food Quality Protection Act standard for dietary risk and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act risk-benefit standards, and warrant continued registration of MSMA, DMSA, CAMA and cacodylic acid.

"EPA has exaggerated the risks of organic arsenicals by including inorganic arsenic in the exposure assessment for water and food. The MAATF is being asked to meet a standard for inorganic arsenic in water that is 500 times lower than the EPA Office of Water's MCL for drinking water." said Michal Eldan, Ph.D., chairperson. "We disagree with the evaluations behind the Agency's Re-registration Eligibility Decision and will continue our efforts to explain the science that supports our position."

"MSMA/DSMA/CAMA/cacodylic acid registrations on cotton and turf are of critical economic importance to U.S. farmers and turf managers," said Dr. Eldan. "EPA is underestimating the value of the organic arsenicals by ignoring the comments from many cotton growers and golf-course superintendents nationwide." Cotton growers, the GCSAA, State Departments of Agriculture and golf course superintendents have written in support of the continued use of the organic arsenical products.

MSMA/DSMA/CAMA control certain weed problems in cotton and turf like no other herbicides. For example, there are no alternative selective postemergence herbicides available for control of mature crabgrass and tropical signalgrass weeds.

Based on a large body of scientific data, the MAATF believes that the organic arsenicals do not pose an unreasonable risk to workers, farmers, the public or the environment when used according to label directions.

Because the Re-registration Eligibility Decision is not a final decision, farmers, turf managers, and home owners may continue to use organic arsenicals on all currently registered crops and uses.

Contact the MAA Research Task Force, 800- 890-3301, mailto:meldan@luxpam.com.