Dressed To A Tee

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The Organic segments of food, vitamins, alcohol, and even clothing have grown expeditentially through the last few years, generally over a concern for worker health and the environment. I wonder when this shift will reach golf courses, as it most definitely will, some may argue that it has already started!

Golf clothing companies have been providing organic cotton, bamboo, merino wool and even recycled fabrics for quite some time now to tap in to this growing "Green" market. Instead of interviewing one of the big manufacturers, I decided to search for a company run by actual golfers to learn what influenced the decision to go Organic, that company is Dressed To A Tee.


Turfhugger.com - There are a number of clothing companies in our industry that are using organic fabrics now, why do you think golfers want organic materials in their clothing?

Dressed To A Tee – Our customers are active people who love the outdoors and so are passionate about looking after it. They want to be environmentally responsible and buying clothing made from organic cotton is an easy way to do this. Organic cotton is grown without the use of harmful chemicals such as synthetic fertilisers, soil additives and defoliants, so it has a very low impact on the environment.

Turfhugger.com - Why did you guys start the company? What’s your background?

Dressed To A Tee – Dressed To A Tee grew out of golfing road trips to Ireland. In university summers we would throw our clubs in the back of an old Peugeot and head over to Cork on the ferry. We would drive from course to course asking for student rates and in the evenings we would ask fa
rmers if they had an empty field we could camp in. It was golf on a shoestring and a great adventure.

One trip we realised we were not wearing any specific golf clothing despite playing golf nearly every day. So when we got home we designed some polos and t-shirts that were ideal for golf but that also embodied the casual and informal nature of our trips. The clothing was multi-functional as we needed to wear it not only on the golf course but also for travelling around and living in the outdoors.

There are two of us that run the company: Harry and Sam. Our background is marketing and sales, so we had to get some help in the clothing department. It has been a steep learning curve but we are very proud of what we have achieved so far and very excited about moving forward and growing our product range.

Turfhugger.com – Where is it made?

Dressed To A Tee – Our clothing is made in a family-run factory in Portugal. We choose Portugal for two reasons. First it has a great reputation for quality jersey wear (polo shirts and t-shirts) and, secondly, because it is relatively near to the UK. This means our carbon footprint is considerably lower than if we manufactured our products in the Far East.

Turfhugger.com - Where is the cotton grown, to what standards?

Dressed To A Tee – Our organic cotton is grown in Pakistan and comes with a certificate from Skal which guarantees it has been grown 100% organically. Skal is a non-profit foun
dation based in Holland that surveys the organic production by means of inspection and certification. Inspections involve visiting farms as well as processing and importing units. Skal also conducts examinations of soil and crop samples and produces administrative assessments.

Matt Cryer, Team Golfer

Turfhugger.com
- Possibly extending product line?

Dressed To A Tee – We currently sell men’s and women’s polo shirts and t-shirts that are made from organic cotton. We also sell hats made from merino wool. Next year we will be producing more polos in organic cotton as well as expanding our merino range because its natural sports performance makes it ideal for golf and other outdoor activities. If you would like to be informed when we launch our next collection please leave your email at our site and we will contact you for a sneak preview.

Turfhugger.com
- Favorite courses you've played?

Dressed To A Tee - Our favourite golf tracks are the courses of South West Ireland. It really is a special place for us - amazing scenery and friendly people. On our trips we were lucky to play some great links courses such as Waterville, Tralee, Lahinch and Connemara. We love the links because that is where a golfer truly feels the connection between the game and the natural environment. It’s where golf was traditionally played and the layout of holes fit the natural landscape rather than the other way around. We believe the game needs to retain its natural connection with the environment to truly reflect its spirit and origins. Links courses are also by the sea, which means you are on holiday!

Turfhugger.com - Wish list?

Dressed To A Tee – All the classics - St Andrews, Pebble Beach, Turnberry – but are you paying?! To be honest the courses we like are the ones you turn up to with no expectations, the sun is out and you play great with a bunch of old friends. They may not be the ‘best’ courses but they are the best days on the fairways.

Only 3 Days Left to Enter





Bunkers are one of the most resource intensive features of the golf course requiring a number of inputs including fuel, sand, water, seed, fertilizer, labor and lots of $.

Throughout the month of August we are inviting submissions to learn how your golf course has reduced the amount of non-renewable resources in the maintenance of bunkers.

We are looking for your examples of, but not restricted to, any one or combination of these bunker management trends:
- Using drought tolerant grasses
- No-mow bunker surroundings
- Recycled glass instead of sand
- Grey water for bunker irrigation
- Waste bunkers, grass bunkers, etc...


Here's just one example of what we are looking for.

The submission deadline is September 1st 2009, so hurry up and pass it on to your friends.


Here’s what we need to know from you

Name of Golf Course:

Location:

Your Name and Position:

Contact Information:

How many bunkers in total on your property:

Explain what you’ve done to the bunkers to make them less resource intensive or in your eye's "More Environmentally Friendly":

How many bunkers are like this:

When did you start doing this:

Do you have any numbers of Approx. Fuel, Water, Materials or Labor saved:

What do the staff, golfers and/or management think:

Do you have photos of before and after, please attach them along with the above required information in an email to info@turfhugger.com


Submissions will be reviewed by Turfhugger.com and Dixon Golf. The monthly winner will receive a Voucher for One Dozen Dixon Earth Golf Balls. All submissions will be posted in the monthly contest re-cap so that we can all learn from your efforts.

Thanks for being a Turfhugger and be sure to visit www.turfhugger and www.dixongolf.com often.


For The Love Of The Gamiing!

Recently I read a headline mentioning the "Gamiing Nature Centres First Annual Golf Tournament", this had to be a typo right? According to the majority of newspappers and public opinion golf is "bad for the environment", so what on earth was an organization whose main focus is on conserving and preserving habitat and water resources doing holding a Golf Tournament? I was compelled to find out more so I spoke with Andrew Kadykalo, Marketing Director at the Gamiing Nature Centre.


Turfhugger - Tell me about the tournament. Who do you expect to come, environmentalist or golfers?
Gamiing - Well, we expect both. We were initially hoping to attract strictly environmentalists who love to golf but since this is our first year running the event our response has not yet been what we'd hoped so we are hoping now to get anyone to come who loves to golf. That being said, the spots we have filled so far are filled mostly by environmentalists who are familiar with the organization.

Trufhugger - Are golfers environmentalists?
Gamiing - Not all of them, but many of them are. Myself and many registered in our tournamnet so far are frequent golfers. We love the game but we also care for the natural environment. I feel many environmentalists at our tournament will warm up to golf after they play in our tournament. The love of golf and environment is a tricky balancing act and any true environmentalist must come to recognize and understand the impacts of a golf course to the environment. Golf courses use up large amounts of water, fossil fuels, pesticides, and natural landscape. However, many courses also preserve many natural habitats and areas which might otherwise be totally abolished by development. It is important to support courses who preserve natural forest/water bodies/landscape and who use environmentally friendly techniques in regards to maintainance (using rain water, watering early or late in the day, pesticide free, compost etc.). Golf can be enjoyed in a sustainable fashion, so long as the public pressures courses to use environmentally friendly methods/techniques when operating their course.

Trufhugger - Why did you choose golf? Are golfers your typical crowd you approach for donations?
Gamiing - We chose golf because of the potential that exists to raise funds for our not for profit organization. Our organization has needed to expand for some time now but with a slumping economy, fewer available grants, less donations our small organization needs to look for other sources to fund our work. Our hope is that over time this event will grow in popularity and attendance and every consecutive year we get more sponsors, more golfers and more funds which eventually come back to us to help us with our work. Golfers are not the typical crowd we approach for donation. Since we are in a very ruraly area we can not be to choosy when it comes to who we approach. We mostly ask local professionals, and cottagers who have their second homes along Pigeon Lake (where we are located).

Trufhugger - Any specific reason as to why you choose Tamarack GC?
Gamiing - Yes. We screened most of the golf courses in our area when she decided to organize a fundraising golf tournament. We chose Tamarac Golf & Country Club because their maintainance practices were the most environmentally friendly. Tamarac irrigates their course with collected rainwater and because of this is in the process of being Audobon certified. We tried to take this standout fact and run. We are trying to host one of the few 'Green Golf Tournaments'. We are trying to attract environmentalist golfers, and environmentally friendly sponsors. So far, it appears like our event will run successfully. Our event is even going to be bullfrog powered (100% green electricity) by donation.

Trufhugger - What will this money from the tournament help you do?
Gamiing - All the proceeds from this tournament will go towards our eco-educational and lake stewardship programs. Sandy Carrothers, our outdoor education specialists runs outreach programs to libraries and schools and in-house programs and workshops for schools, camps, groups to come visit Gamiing. She also runs a Nature Club every first Saturday of each month. As for lake stewardship, we run several projects headed by John Nolan restoring and naturalizing Pigeon Lake shoreline which has been heavily eroded and has had natural landscapes changed by the high traffic of cottagers and tourists. We also work towards restoring habitat for native animals. For example, John and his team this past spring created several gravel nesting sites for turtles (several species of which are highly endangered) along the shores of Pigeon Lake.

The Tournament is coming up on Saturday September 19th, go here for more details. BTW, any one want to go with me? Its about an hour or so out of Toronto.

Is Golf Unethical?

A recent New York Times article by acclaimed writer Andy Cohen, previously from Late Night with David Letterman, asks the question "Is Golf Unethical"? This unfortunately is not a comedic sketch, Cohen claims the IOC should evaluate golf's "questionable environmental ethics" when considering the sport for the 2016 games. I can't help to think this question is becoming out dated. Okay, I agree with getting rid of the golf courses in Venezuela so people have a place to live. Restricting water use in countries that are in severe drought should be an obvious conclusion that golf's governing bodies should be pushing harder than some international tournaments, but of course that goes for all industries who rely on non-renewable resources.


Canada's golf industry is showing many benefits, NAGA recently released the first ever Canadian Golf Economic Impact Study which claims golf generates $11.3 Billion in economic benefits. Within this report is a small factoid claiming Canada's golf courses provide over 200,000 hectares of green space, bigger than the Island of Maui! If this were all maintained turfgrass it would sequester approximately 395,368,610 Tons of Carbon per year, nearly the equivalent of all of Australia's native Bush vegetation! But it's not all maintained, the study showed that 41,000 Hectares of the land is actually managed as wildlife habitat, the equivalent to over 120 Central Parks! These meadows, wetlands and woodlands help sequester more carbon per acre than maintained turfgrass. I fail to see what is unethical about a land use stratgey that does all this, while making billions. I will say yes, we can improve the use of our natural resources, everybody can and everybody has to in order to accommodate a growing population, but i think it's time golf gets the credit it deserves.

From the New York Times article:
Although not explicitly mentioned by Chávez or the I.O.C., golf entails questionable environmental ethics. Unesco warns of the lamentable consequences of building golf courses to attract international tourists: “An average golf course in a tropical country such as Thailand needs 1500 kg. of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides per year and uses as much water as 60,000 rural villagers.” Some courses have become more frugal with water, and a team of British scientists argues in “The Biologist” that “many golf courses actively promote nature conservation and harbour some of our rarest plant and animal species.” But it is hard to believe that the best-designed nature preserve includes 18 putting greens, or that even the most sophisticated golf course is better for the environment than no golf course at all. These considerations are putatively important to the Olympic Movement, which declares its intent “to encourage and support a responsible concern for environmental issues, to promote sustainable development in sport.”

Find the whole article here.

EcoAid Helps Make Golf Even Greener!


After learning of the Frys.com Open, late October in Scotsdale Arizona, making the commitment to become "Carbon Neutral" I had to learn more. I'll be speaking with tournament director Scott Reid soon about the motivations behind this project, but first I want to provide some background information on Carbon Offsetting. For this I went to Baron Bruno of EcoAid, the Arizona based company that was chosen to oversee the Frys.com project. But before we dive into what Carbon Offsetting is, first lets look at EcoAid.


EcoAid promotes corporate and personal social responsibility by developing sustainability plans and green doctrines for companies to help them implement more eco-friendly business practices to lessen their carbon emissions/footprint. This helps them to run more efficiently and save money. EcoAid then helps these businesses to become fully carbon neutral by offsetting the company’s remaining carbon emissions not lessened though 'reduce, reuse and recycle' efforts by offering certified and verified carbon offsets that support a wide range of environmental projects like clean energy, reforestation and gas capture.

So what is all this Carbon stuff anyways? For that we go to Brendan Cook, Sustainability Director at EcoAid who'll be coordinating the Frys.com Open project.

Climate Change. Carbon Credits. Cap & Trade. Carbon Footpri
nt. Greenhouse Gas. Confused? Don't be! There are a lot of buzzwords flying around lately when it comes to the science and business of Climate Change. In order to clear things up, here's a brief explanation about what it means to be Carbon Neutral. To determine your “carbon footprint” means to measure the amount of greenhouse gases that are being added to the atmosphere.

The term was coined from carbon dioxide, The primary human contributor to climate change. Other Greenhouse Gases include Methane and Nitrous Oxide. CO2 is a Greenhouse Gas which means it traps solar heat in our atmosphere 'changing' our climate's typical patterns. Whenever you use energy created from fossil fuels, you're generating carbon emissions. To offset your carbon emissions, or become Carbon Neutral, simply means to neutralize your part in the polluting of our environment.


Since carbon dioxide emissions are the principal human cause of climate change, carbon offsets are the key to promoting a greener environment. A carbon offset represents the carbon dioxide emissions accounted for in a certified project.
EcoAid's goal is to show that environmental activism is smart, proactive and part of a good business model. That’s why we are addressing Climate Change from all angles and actively offsetting the Ca
rbon footprint for the Frys.com Open in October.

Interested in learning more? To determine your own carbon footprint and how you can shrink it, visit the EcoAid Carbon Calculator at www.ecoaidnow.com.

Stone Creek Golf Course

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From GCSAA

GCSAA member David Phipps discusses the environmental programs he follows at Stone Creek Golf Course in Portland, Ore.

Who Is Dixon Golf?



Recently I had the opportunity to ask Dixon Golf Executive VP William Carey to explain why Dixon Golf chose to create a fully recyclable golf ball. I was very curious to learn what the motivation was and how their program worked.

We have made golf balls for many years for other companies. A few years ago, it became obvious to us that golf balls presented and eco problem. We looked up the stats and found that between 200-300 million golf balls are discarded each year. That is enough balls to make a line from LA to London and back, in other words, a lot of garbage and landfill space. Also, nobody seemed to be willing to do anything about it.
We tested different products for nearly a year to find the right formula for performance as well as recycling because the whole concept doesn't work unless the ball performs as well or better than the competition. When were finally happy with the ball, we had a product that performed extremely well for the golfers and that we could grind up and recycle to make other products out of the material such as field turf and playground equipment.

We also had to go through a few changes with the recycling program. Originally, an envelope came with each box of balls so golfers could send them in. The problem with that option was that it was a bit of a hassle to take it to the post office and mail off. Earlier this year, we launched our current program where recycle bins are placed at pro shops and golf stores.
Every golfer has old balls that aren't usable for golf. Now there is a place to take them. We pay golfers to recycle all their old balls as a way to incentivize more people to participate. We give a credit of $.50/ball for any brand of ball and $1.00/ball for any Dixon golf balls toward the purchase of new balls. We recycle the Dixon balls and use the other balls in our R&D. Our goal is to eventually be able to recycle every golf ball and truly make a difference in this industry.

We are not one of the big companies in this industry and as such, we have a competitive disadvantage in the amount of money we can spend to let people know that there is an eco friendly option out there and that the ball is as good or better than the one they are currently playing. But, we are the first company to do anything like this and feel that with enough people helping our grass roots marketing, we can make a difference.

People can help the cause by simply raising awareness. They can tell their friends and ask their golf shop if they have a recycling center. The more demand there is, the bigger difference we can make.

To find a retailer or recycling center near you, visit the Dixon retailer locator.

Impressed by the efforts of Dixon Golf, Turfhugger.com has decided to hold a monthly contest using the Dixon tag line "Get On The Green". Each months contest will focus on your solutions to environmental concerns in a specific area of golf course management. Each months contest will be posted on the Right Column of Turfhugger.com and the winners, choosen by Turfhugger.com and Dixon Golf, will be awarded One Dozen of Dixon Earth Balls.

Playing in the Pasture

Images of the Dubai Classic and the Masters at Augusta raise golfers aesthetic expectations to levels barely attainable. Fast rolling greens, lush fairways, blue ponds and sculpted white sand bunkers cost money, mostly because they are highly resource intensive. But not all golfers are as demanding as the pros, enter Pasture Golf.

This type of golf is attractive to those looking for a low green fee, want to wear Birkenstocks or boots, or those naturalists/purists who believe that modern golf courses bear little resemblance to the links style of their ancestral roots. Many people are starting to share the view with www.pasturegolf.com that "the prolific use of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, refrigerated greens (you think we're kidding, don't you?)" are actually hurting the game, and potentially threatening the environment.

The Pasture Golf website outlines the locations and individuality of many courses that meet their strict expectations. I was surprised to find out how many are located near me.

Here's one down in Kansas.


Due to the strong natural character of these courses they have unique house rules, some of these include:

Smedberg Pines Golf Course in Pollock Pines, California - Bear shit counts as a "loose impediment". The house may be considered a "hazard". Don't spend more than 5 minutes looking for any one ball. Beware of cars on #4 and #12. Read yardages on every hole, it's a short course. See nothing, feel nothing and be the ball.

Ernie Holzemer's Four Hole Pasture Golf Course in Amidon, North Dakota - has it's own particular rules:
No Golf Carts Rule - It would cut playing time down to five minutes.

Badger Rule - "If a badger steals your ball, don't mess with the badger."

Gopher Rule - "If a gopher steals your ball, it's legal to retrieve it from the gopher hole."

7-Iron Rule - "Use your 7-iron to kill rattlesnakes."


Alaskan Pasture Golf Courses are no different:

The Raven Rule - Muskeg Meadows Golf Course, Wrangell, Alaska
If a raven steals your ball, you may replace it with no penalty, if you have a witness to the theft.

The Critter Rule - Birch Ridge Golf Course, Soldotna, Alaska
Please allow moose and other wild critters to play through!

The Bear Rule - Bear Valley Golf Course, Kodiak, Alaska
Bears have the right to play through.

Relief from Moose Tracks - Mt. Fairweather Golf Course
Take relief from moose tracks.

Free Drop - North Star Golf Club, Fairbanks, Alaska
If raven or fox steals ball, take free drop at theft location.

"Get On The Green" with Dixon Golf

Tags

Bunkers are one of the most resource intensive features of the golf course requiring a number of inputs including fuel, sand, water, seed, fertilizer, labor and lots of $.

Throughout the month of August we are inviting submissions to learn how your golf course has reduced the amount of non-renewable resources in the maintenance of bunkers.

We are looking for your examples of, but not restricted to, any one or combination of these bunker management trends:
- Using drought tolerant grasses
- No-mow bunker surroundings
- Recycled glass instead of sand
- Grey water for bunker irrigation
- Waste bunkers, grass bunkers, etc...

Here's just one example of what we are looking for.

The submission deadline is September 1st 2009, so hurry up and pass it on to your friends.


Here’s what we need to know from you

Name of Golf Course:

Location:

Your Name and Position:

Contact Information:

How many bunkers in total on your property:

Explain what you’ve done to the bunkers to make them less resource intensive or in your eye's "More Environmentally Friendly":

How many bunkers are like this:

When did you start doing this:

Do you have any numbers of Approx. Fuel, Water, Materials or Labor saved:

What do the staff, golfers and/or management think:

Do you have photos of before and after, please attach them along with the above required information in an email to info@turfhugger.com


Submissions will be reviewed by Turfhugger.com and Dixon Golf. The monthly winner will receive a Voucher for One Dozen Dixon Earth Golf Balls. All submissions will be posted in the monthly contest re-cap so that we can all learn from your efforts.

Thanks for being a Turfhugger and be sure to visit www.turfhugger and www.dixongolf.com often.

This Week in Green Golf


PrideSports is the worlds leading producer of golf tees and the last remaining American manufacturer of wooden golf tees, has announced a business partnership with International Wood Fuels to share production facilities in Burnham Maine. This new partnership will:
  • 99% of the wood bi-products created from producing billions of golf tees is reclaimed and reused to create energy in the plant or is recycled for other industries.
  • A significant amount of his bi-product will be turned into renewable-energy wood pellets that will be used to heat homes, schools and businesses that would have otherwise burned fossil fuels.
  • This partnership will be capable of saving up to 133,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually through the manufacturing of wooden golf tees and the clean-burning wood pellets.
  • The proximity of the IWF facility will eliminate the need to transport these products and will conserve thousands of gallons of diesel fuel annually.
  • Will continue to use of 100% Maine Hardwoods
Joe Zeller, President/COO of PrideSports says "Our company accepted the challenge to set the benchmark for eco-friendliness and always finds ways to exceed our already high conservation standards. The Burnham facility is a shining example of how a U.S. factory can thrive in a competitive world economy and at the same time act in an environmentally responsible manner." More

Australias oldest golf course gets a water friendly facelift, read more about the renovations at Ballarat GC here.



Weed pulling and Quick Cupplers courtesy of the GCSAA "Sustainable Moments" video.


I've covered Justin Timberlakes new Mirimichi Course already, but here's a simple breakdown of the environmental features of the property from their site.

"Mirimichi is the first golf course in the country to be designated a Certified Audubon International Classic Sanctuary. As part of the Classic Program, Mirimichi implemented sustainable resource management principles that incorporate wildlife conservation, habitat rehabilitation and enhancement, water conservation and water quality protection. The Audubon International certification requires a yearly audit to ensure that Mirimichi continues to implement these natural resource management principles. All Mirimichi employees are thoroughly trained in environmental stewardship."

"...is also working to add a fleet of electric golf carts powered by solar panels — as well as a future LEED-certified clubhouse and food and beverage operations that use recycled and biodegradable materials. Eventually, Mirimichi hopes to become the world’s first golf course to calculate its own carbon footprint."


Other Articles Of Note:
Pump House Energy Use - Golf Course Management
What no Super ever wants to happen.