In work partially funded by the United States Golf Association, researchers compared the effects of hollow-tine core cultivation (HTCC) and verticutting on controlling pesticide runoff by simulating rainstorms at a test site at the University of Minnesota, and concluded that the HTCC practice is more effective at absorbing more runoff.   Scientists from the United…

The five-year study will evaluate the golf industry, covering costs to players, playing time, turf maintenance, and golf course water consumption, in hopes of making the game less expensive and time-consuming, while addressing environmental concerns.

University of Minnesota Professor Brian Horgan hopes to use 14 years of turfgrass research to convert the Falcon Heights, Minn., property to fine fescue grass, which typically requires less water and fertilizer, with fewer pesticides and less frequent mowings. If the plan is approved, the property could serve as a national model for greener practices at aging golf courses.

The endowed chair is established through a $2 million grant, to honor the legacy of David Lilly, The Toro Company’s fourth president and former Dean of the university’s Carlson School of Management.

The North Dakota club’s 24-year-old General Manager and 25-year-old Executive Chef are leading pursuit of a mission which holds that “the future of private clubs is in families, and having something for everybody.”

The Saint Paul, Minn., club produces honey through a bee hive on-site, supplies eggs with the help of a brood of chickens, and is working to convert used vegetable oil into fuel. The 125-year-old club is also involved in a study with the University of Minnesota to understand the impact of nitrates in runoff water from the course.

Funded by the GCSAA’s philanthropic organization, the Environmental Institute of Golf, and supported by Syngenta Professional Products, the $1,500 college scholarships were awarded to 20 children or grandchildren of GCSAA members. The awards are based on academic achievement, community involvement, extracurricular activities and leadership skills.

Research from a four-year grant seeks to identify the varieties that can best survive near salty, humid, icy and construction-prone roadsides through severe and prolonged winter and thrive the rest of the year.