Guide is highlighted by 17 sections that will allow superintendents to manage facilities in an efficient and environmentally sustainable manner

The California Golf Course Superintendents Association, with assistance from its allied golf partners, recently published the California Golf Industry Best Management Practices Guide (BMPs). 

Developed using the Best Management Practices Planning Guide and Template created by the GCSAA, California has been working on the project for two years. 

The California Golf Industry BMP Committee includes superintendents from each of the California GCSA’s six regional chapters (Central California, Hi-Lo Desert, Northern California, San Diego, Sierra Nevada, Southern California) as well as the California Alliance for Golf, California Golf Course Owners Association, GCSAA, Southern California Golf Association, Southern California PGA and USGA.

The committee employed the services of Blankinship & Associates, Inc. out of Davis,Calif. to serve as the environmental consultant and project manager.

The BMP guide features 17 sections: Planning, Design and Construction; Irrigation; Surface Water Management; Water Quality Management; Nutrient Management; Cultural Practices; Integrated Pest Management; Pesticide Management; Pollinator Protection and Enhancement; Maintenance Operations; Landscape and Out of Play Areas; Energy; Groundwater Management; Air Quality, Threatened and Endangered Species; Urban Golf and Seaside Golf. 

Along with the BMPs and links to state regulations and agencies, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) section is available at the end of each section which serves as a quick reference for everyday situations and questions that a golf course superintendent may be confronted with. 

The guide was financed through the annual California GCSA “California Room” hospitality event held yearly at the Golf Industry Show as well as $15,000 in grants from GCSAA. 

The digital platform allows superintendents to customize the guides to the unique needs of their facility or agronomic region and can be printed in either a PDF or Word format for distribution to policymakers, golfers, environmental groups, regulatory agencies and communities.  Access to the document is free of charge for GCSAA members. 

Find the document in its entirety here.