How can I minimize my Pesticide exposure on the golf course?
· Answer (1 of 9): If you live near a golf course, you may be exposed to harmful pesticides used to keep the greens looking lush and green. These pesticides can drift into your yard and home, exposing you and your family to potential health risks. Exposure to pesticides has been linked to a variet...
Is there toxic fertilizer on your golf course?
· I live in a golf course community, but do not live on the course or within striking distance. But I see many homes with visible damage from errant tee shots (dents in the siding mainly). ... BTW, fire ants are really the only nuisance on a Dallas area golf course. Pesticides are not a heavy need from my experience of playing golf in Texas for ...
Is it safe to live on a golf course?
When pesticides are used, activity on the golf course may pose a possible risk of exposure to pesticide residues. The most likely way for golfers to be exposed is through direct skin contact with the turf, such as on bare hands, arms, and lower legs. The Pesticide Specialist discussed some optional ways for James to minimize his pesticide ...
What are the dangers of chemicals on golf courses?
In fact, one course in Long Island, New York was found to use four to seven times the average amount of pesticides used in agriculture, on a pound per acre basis. These pesticides are not …
Is it toxic to live near a golf course?
Toxic Fairways People living near a golf course may be affected by sprays and dusts blown from the golf course onto their property and into their homes. Finally, pesticides applied to the turf may run off into surface waters or leach down to groundwater, which can then expose people to contaminated drinking water.
Is it good to live near a golf course?
There are so many wonderful advantages to living on a golf course or in a golf course community – from the high property values and quality school districts that usually are nearby, to the other community amenities and golf at your fingertips, living on a golf course is living the dream.
Can golf course pesticides cause cancer?
Working as a Golf Course Superintendent has been found to significantly increase the risk of dying of four cancer types including - brain cancer, lymphoma (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, NHL), prostate and large intestine cancer.
Do golf courses use a lot of chemicals?
However, “Toxic Fairways” calculated that golf courses applied about 50,000 pounds of pesticides in one year, which can be anywhere from four to seven times more than the average amount utilized in agriculture on a pound/acre basis (Feldman).
Why do people buy houses on golf courses?
Well Manicured & Beautiful Surroundings Another benefit of buying a home on a golf course is that the majority of the surroundings will be well manicured and maintained. Since most golf courses pride themselves on the condition of their grounds, the chances of having well manicured surroundings is higher.
Is living on a golf course loud?
Things can get noisy if the home is very close to the course. This is especially true if the house borders a tee box or cart path. These locations are often golfers gathering spots and can be noisier than other locations. Before you buy, take time to walk the property lines and understand the course layout.
Is golf course fertilizer toxic?
According to the research team, in general, when used according to the label directions, chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers approved for use on golf course turf are not believed to pose a real health risk to either the workers who apply the chemicals or to others who may come into contact with them after ...
Do golfers get more cancer?
Golfers an skin cancer Golfers are at an increased risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers due to cumulative UV exposure. The time spent outdoors, especially in direct sunlight during peak times of UV sun exposure, between 10 am - 4 pm, can do a number on one's skin.
How often are golf courses sprayed?
Fertilizer, fungicides, insecticides, plant growth regulators, and other chemicals each play an important role in producing tournament quality putting surfaces. Here at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, we spray the greens once a week to ensure they remain in top shape.
How are golf courses bad for the environment?
Golf Courses and the Environment. Although dependent on the environment, golf courses are often criticized for their negative impact on their surroundings. From ground water pollution caused by fertilizers and pesticides to loss of natural habitats and wetlands, the concerns are great.
What herbicides do golf courses use?
For warm season turfgrass, Certainty, Sedgehammer, Celero, or Monument herbicides are effective. For resistance management and improved control, mix the aforementioned herbicides with Dismiss and/or Basagran T/O herbicides. For cool season turfgrass, Sedgehammer, Dismiss, or Basagran T/O works well.
How do golf courses get their grass so green?
Deep roots help the grass stay strong, lush and green. Golf course turf receives adequate nutrients from regular fertilizing. Fertilizers typically contain a balance of potassium and nitrogen, which helps the grass stay strong, even when it's subjected to extreme temperature and heavy traffic.
Why do golf courses use pesticides?
The Pesticide Specialist explained that pesticides are used on golf courses and other recreational areas to maintain the health and appearance of the turf. James learned that most golf courses have highly trained golf course superintendents who manage the course, including turf management and pest control strategies.
How do golfers get exposed to pesticides?
The most likely way for golfers to be exposed is through direct skin contact with the turf, such as on bare hands, arms, and lower legs.
What is the National Pesticide Information Center?
James decided to call the National Pesticide Information Center for more information about pesticide use on golf courses.
Who could contact the superintendent of a golf course?
The Pesticide Specialist also said that James could contact the golf course superintendent to find out what pesticides are typically applied to the course. He could also learn about practices they may use to help reduce pesticide exposure:
What was James' concern about golf?
He was concerned about whether he might be exposed to pesticides while golfing. James decided to call the National Pesticide Information Center for more information about pesticide use on golf courses.
How can golf courses change their pesticide use?
A few ways golf courses can change their hazardous practice of pesticide use is through organic practices such as using native vegetation and grasses which are the most adaptable to local conditions, adding buffer zones to protect water sources or sensitive areas, using an irrigation system that reuses water, and designing a course to sustain the natural wildlife, all help to maintain a healthy and clean course for all to enjoy.
Can you spray pesticides on lawns?
Rather than modifying their treatments to tackle specific problems, courses spray a cocktail of pesticides on their lawns; however this can lead to a dependency on the pesticides, in turn, necessitating more pesticides and a higher health risk to the public.
Is there a danger to non green golf courses?
One of the main and most talked about dangers of golf courses in recent years, has been the use of pesticides on golf course lawns.
What is Beyond Pesticides?
Beyond Pesticides supports Environmental Principles for Golf Courses in the United States, and the adoption of Organic Practices. If you live near a golf course, learn more about how communities are encouraging their public courses to transition to safer practices, and how you can help Green your Local Course. See the Resource page for additional background on golf and pesticide use.
What is in the sheds of golf courses?
But behind the highly manicured, weed-free greens and fairways of golf courses often sit storage sheds filled with a toxic assortment of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides.
Is organic golf worth it?
The success of organic and ecologically managed golf courses throughout the US show that this effort is worth it. Workers, players, and surrounding community members are at less risk of adverse health impacts, and local wildlife thrives.
Is it easy to maintain an organic golf course?
This work is not easy. While the methods used to maintain an organic golf course are similar to those used to maintain an organic lawn, the high expectations placed on golf courses require significant time, attention, and willingness to experiment. Soil health must be prioritized.
Do golf course superintendents work with environmental experts?
Increasingly, golf course superintendents are making this connection, and working with environmental experts and local residents to improve the public health and ecological footprint of their greens and fairways. This work is not easy. While the methods used to maintain an organic golf course are similar to those used to maintain an organic lawn, ...
Mitigation
Scientists at the University of Minnesota investigate how superintendents play a key role.
Human Exposure
University of Massachusetts scientists investigate exposure to commonly used pesticides.
Wildlife Exposure
Scientists track the success of eastern bluebirds on pesticide-treated golf courses.
Multimedia
Superintendents strive to maintain healthy turf, but a lot of factors can stress playing surfaces. Whether the stress factors are easy to diagnose or more challenging, superintendents leverage their knowledge and experience to make environmentally and economically sustainable decisions.
What did Wilson say about golf courses?
Wilson said that, during that time, managers were “essentially mass-spraying golf courses.”. “Then, move ahead to 2001, and in the same magazine they celebrate Rachel Carson,” he said in an interview. “The industry has changed their practices. They’ve become more targeted with the way they use chemicals.”.
What book did Wilson write about the greening of golf?
In the beginning of his book, “ The Greening of Golf ,” Wilson cites a 1964 issue of a magazine for golf course superintendents that includes what he called a “scathing review” of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” the 1962 book largely credited with spurring the modern environmental movement.
What is the green section?
Golf Association to develop a program called Green Section for “the widespread dissemination of scientific knowledge of value, not only to golf clubs, but millions of owners of lawns and growers of grass all over America.”.
When did Ontario ban synthetic pesticides?
Nisker suggested that his home province has proven the same possibility for parks. In 2009, Ontario banned synthetic pesticides used solely to improve the appearance of lawns, vegetable and ornamental gardens, patios, driveways, cemeteries, parks and school yards.
Can golf courses cause lymphoma?
Research suggests that some chemicals used on golf courses may raise risks of lymphomas and other health problems. One study, published in 1996 in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, specifically addressed this concern.
Is 2,4-D a carcinogen?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, named 2,4-D a possible human carcinogen and studies also have found that the weed killer may disrupt the normal functioning of hormones in the body.
Who spoke at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Common Ground Country Fair in September 2012?
Jay Feldman speaks at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Common Ground Country Fair in September 2012. Courtesy of Beyond Pesticides. “Clover became a weed overnight,” said Feldman. “The issue is broader than golf.
What is the primary concern when applying pesticides?
primary concern when applying pesticides is to determine if the application site is vulnerable to groundwater or surface water contamination (Table 2). In most cases, level areas away from surface waters (rivers,
How are pesticides broken down?
Pesticides are broken down by microorganisms in the soil in a series of steps that eventually lead to the production of C02(carbon dioxide), H20 (water), and some inorganic products (i.e., nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, etc.). Microbial degradation may be either direct or indirect. Some pesticides are directly utilized as a food source by microorganisms. In most cases, though, indirect microbial degradation of pesticides occurs through passive consumption along with other food sources in the soil. Regardless, microbial degradation is a biological process whereby microorganisms transform the original compound into one or more new compounds with different chemical and physical properties that behave differently in the environment.
What is volatilization in pesticides?
Volatilization is the process by which chemicals are transformed from a solid or liquid into a gas, and is usually expressed in units of vapor pressure. Pesticide volatilization increases as the vapor pressure increases. As temperature increases, so does vapor pressure and the chance for volatilization loss. Volatilization losses generally are lower following a late afternoon or an early evening pesticide application than in the late morning or early afternoon, when temperatures are increasing. Volatilization also increases with
What are the benefits of living in a golf community?
One of the top benefits (or detriments, depending on if you are the buyer or the seller) of living in a golfing community is the higher level of property value, property quality and demand.
What golf courses are zoned for schools in Texas?
Residents living in golf course communities surrounding such courses/clubs as Timarron, Craig Ranch, Stonebriar, Stonebridge Ranch, Heritage Ranch, Dallas Country Club, Gleneagles, Twin Creeks and Canyon Creek are zoned to school districts in the Top 10 in the Student Achievement Index and the College Readiness Index, indices used by the Texas Education Agency to measure student progress and knowledge during school and through graduation.
What is intent in a golf case?
In most cases such as this, intent is the key word (after locating the golfers responsible, of course). In many such cases, the plaintiff must prove that the golfer intentionally hit their ball into a homeowner’s property.
When did golf balls cause a lawsuit?
A court case in the early 1990s illustrates perfectly the difficulties homeowners have in recouping damages caused by golf balls. In 1992, three homeowners on the sixth hole of the Gold Course at Dallas Athletic Club filed suit after stray golf balls damaged their homes and vehicles.
Is safety important on a golf course?
Safety is obviously one of the top priorities and concerns for anyone living in a golf course community, especially those who live on the course. And no, we aren’t talking about robberies, stolen identities or street crimes. We are talking about safety from flying projectiles, especially those of the round, white, dimpled variety. Depending on where you live on a golf course, your home can be at real risk of be pummeled with the occasional (or the consistent) wayward golf ball. Broken windows, dimpled roofs and battered windshields can be a regular occurrence for the golf course homeowner.
Is it better to live on a golf course or in a community?
Beyond the obvious point of living either on, near or adjacent to a golf course, living in a golf course community comes with some distinct advantages. Heightened and stable property values aside (which we will discuss later), golf course communities are often zones to highly rated school districts and located in close proximity to bustling restaurant/grocery/entertainment hubs.
Is it good to live on a golf course?
There are so many wonderful advantages to living on a golf course or in a golf course community – from the high property values and quality school districts that usually are nearby, to the other community amenities and golf at your fingertips, living on a golf course is living the dream. Of course, it isn’t always fun and games, ...
