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Crop Science

2013 National Outdoor Recreation Conference and IUFRO Conference

Ecological Assessment of the Historic Pinehurst No. 2 Golf Course

Kevin D. Stallings

North Carolina State University

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Sustainability Practices in Golf Landscapes

Best Management Practices – design and cultural practices that enhance and promote the natural ecology of a region.

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Pinehurst, NC

Google Earth, 2013

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Pinehurst No. 2 (Pre Restoration)

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Review of Pinehurst No. 2

Beginning March of 2010, Pinehurst No. 2 underwent a significant restoration to return the course to the way designer Donald Ross originally intended.

The new design better reflects the course's natural ecological surroundings in the Sandhills Region of NC.

New challenges for superintendents and staff

Preparation for the Men’s and Women’s US Open in 2014

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Environmental Principles

Follow environmental principles that are designed to:

incorporate existing native ecosystems adapted to local environment

efficiently use water and protect water quality

provide important green space benefits that use resources efficiently

restore environmentally sensitive areas

respect adjacent land and create desirable playing conditions

Adapted from Mathies, 2004

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Implementation at Pinehurst No. 2

The new design included:

A reduction of bermudagrass acreage by about 30%

An increase in native habitat

Reduction in resource inputs (water, fertilizer, pesticides, labor).

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Pinehurst Hole 2 (Pre Restoration)

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Pinehurst Hole 2 (Post Restoration)

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Pinehurst Hole 10 (Post Restoration)

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Pinehurst Hole 16 (Post Restoration)

Golf course representative images are from Pace, 2012 Book: The Golden Age of Pinehurst: The Story and Rebirth of No. 2

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Native areas

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Invasive/Weedy Plant Species

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Native Vegetation

Native Vegetation Benefits

Acclimated to Local Climate

Does not require nutrient or water inputs

Fewer herbicides and pesticides

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2012 Research

• Fall cataloging of emerging vegetation and identification

• Development and dissemination of the Pinehurst No. 2 Plant Identification Booklet

• Management and cultural practices review

• Literature review into the ecological history of the Pinehurst Region

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2013 Initiatives

• Spring and summer cataloging of emerging vegetation

• Biodiversity indices and life cycle analysis (LCA)

• Aristida stricta (wiregrass) herbicide trials for management practices

• Development of an onsite field guide for superintendents and staff

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ID Booklets

Provide superintendents with the following:

Appropriate images for identification

Common name & scientific name

Habitat characteristics

Identifying characteristics

Native status

Perennial/annual

Aid in:

Management decisions

In the office (Larger descriptive booklets)

In the field (Smaller pocket booklets)

Identification

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ID Pamphlets and Booklets

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The US Open 2014

Public Education

Dissemination of brochures to the 100,000+ attendees

Onsite field guides for superintendents and staff at Pinehurst No. 2 Golf Course

Provide knowledge on how sustainable golf course design may promote sustainable communities and prosperity in other areas of the country

Quantify savings on water, labor, and fuel

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Public and Private Partnerships

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Acknowledgements

Drs. Danesha Seth-Carley and Robert J. Richardson

College of Agricultural and Life Science (CALS) Office of Sustainability Programs

Bayer Crop Science

Superintendents and Staff at Pinehurst Golf Course

Jamie Hinton, Philip Hatfield, Steve Hoyle, and Evan Calloway with NCSU Crop Science

Sandra Paa with North Carolina State University Entomology

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Works Cited:

Bryson, C.T., M.S. Defelice. 2009. Weeds of the South. University of Georgia Press, Athens, GA.

Mathies, S. 2004. Sustainable Practices Applied in the Golf Course Industry. M.S. thesis. North Carolina State University, Raleigh.

National Audubon Society. 2004. Field Guide to North American Wildflowers--E: Eastern Region - Revised Edition (National Audubon Society Field Guides). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

Pace, L. 2012. The Golden Age of Pinehurst: The Story and Rebirth of No. 2. The University of North Carolina Press,Chapel Hill, NC.

Virginia Cooperative Extension. Weed identification guide. Available at Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide website: http://www.ppws.vt.edu/weedindex.htm

USDA National Resources Conservation Service. Available at Plants Database website: http://plants.usda.gov/checklist.html

Photographic Images: Kevin D. Stallings, North Carolina State University Crop Science