On April 9, two GCSAA members hosted tours at their golf courses for a group of federal scientists and regulators. Logan Freeman, golf course superintendent at the Mountain Branch Golf Club, and Eric David, CGCS, at the United States Naval Academy Golf Club, exemplified what it means to love the game of golf while serving the surrounding community. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent a total of 45 representatives on the tour to learn more about conservation and best management practice efforts by golf course superintendents.

Both superintendents led tours around their courses, focusing on initiatives such as moisture management, habitat considerations, turfgrass types, irrigation technologies and more. In response, the federal representatives asked questions to better understand the work and expertise of superintendents.

GCSAA staff Chava McKeel, Josh Tapp, Robert Helland and Katrin Wolfe were on hand to help support the golf course tour. Freeman and David first provided a holistic presentation about golf course management through presentations in their clubhouse and then walked the tour attendees out onto the golf course to help them go through different information stations. The moisture meter sticks and the robot mowers were a highlight of the tour for many.This annual event is yet another successful marker of the collaboration between GCSAA and federal regulatory agencies. By engaging with each other, we can understand one another’s missions, as well as develop a shared goal of keeping our collective environment healthy and sustainable for future generations.

For more information, please contact Chava McKeel at cmckeel@gcsaa.org.