The Devil is in the DetailsEnvironmental Management Systems (EMS) and golf courses.BY ROBERT N. CARROW AND KEVIN A. FLETCHER

The identification of significant environmental issues andthe environmental management program developed for thegolf course are key issues to EMSeffectiveness. The thirdcomponent is the development of a viable outreach program .....

Environmental ManagementSystems (EMS) are an increasinglyprevalent approach to

managing all environmental issues ona site - whether a golf course, manu-facturing plant, agricultural productionor processing facility, or any otherentity. It is a voluntary, standardized,systematic approach to manage envi-ronmental issues that is adapated acrossall industries and on an internationalscale. In a companion paper (GreenSection Record, Julyl August 2007), theEMS concept was defined along withits history (Carrow and Fletcher, 2007).In this article, focus is on the EMSconcept and golf courses - implemen-tation, challenges, opportunities, andimplications.

Are there already EMS programs inthe golf industry? The answer is yes.In agriculture, horticulture, and golfcourses, the EMS concept is mostadvanced in Australia. The February2007 issue of the Australian Journal ifExperimental Agriculture was devoted toEMS in agriculture and horticulture

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(http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/72 .htm), while Environmental Business Solu-tions (EBS 2007) recently developed anEMS program entitled e-PAR™ forgolf courses. The e_PAR™ programwas developed by Terry Muir ofEBSAustralia in conjunction with the AUEPA and the Australian Golf CourseSuperintendents Association and is themost advanced program in the worldapplying the EMS concept to golfcourses. Within the U.S., some indi-vidual clubs have used e- PAR™ orinformation on EMS in general anddeveloped their own EMS.

Audubon International has threeprograms based on the EMS model'and encompassing many of the EMSelements (Audubon International,2007) - Audubon Cooperative Sanc-tuary, Audubon Classic, and AudubonSignature Programs. Their programsillustrate the necessity for flexibilitywithin an approach and for adaptingany environmental approach, includingthe EMS concept, to encompass newdevelopments or additions (planning,

construction, long-term management),as well as existing facilities. Recently,Ron Dodson, president and CEO ofAudubon International, elaborated inthe book Sustainable Golf Courses - AGuide to Environmental Stewardship onmany of the key environmental issuesencompassed in the EMS conceptwhen applied to golf facilities (Dodson,2005). Additionally, the University ofGeorgia and Audubon Internationalcooperatively developed a web-basededucational guideline for golf coursesthat describes the EMS concept, history,elements, assessment of environmentalissues, development of Best Manage-ment Practices (BMPs) for each envi-ronmental issue, and lists resourcesfor those interested in this concept(Carrow and Fletcher, 2007a).

The U.S. Air Force's Golf ClubEnvironmental Management (GEM)program is based on EMS (GEM2007). The Air Force mandated thatall installations "develop and imple-ment an environmental managementsystem (EMS) to sustain, restore, and

modernize natural infrastructure tosupport mission capability." GEM is anEMS designed for golf facilities situatedwithin the military structure andmethod of operation.

Other groups have developed pro-grams or information sources thatrelate to certain components of EMSbut are not EMS programs, such as:• The Michigan Turfgrass Environ-mental Stewardship Program (MTESP)(http://mtesp.org/). This is an Envi-ronmental Management Program(EMP) developed through collabora-tive efforts of Michigan State Univer-sity, government agencies, the turf grassindustry, and advocacy groups. TheMTESP has elements that an EMSwould incorporate, but it isn't an EMS.Note: An EMP is similar to a BMP tomanage a specific environmental issue .• Club Managers Association ofAmerica's Environmental PerformanceAudit (http://www.cmaa.org/onlinesurveys/ environmentalaudits/EAdetail. asp?1ngEAID = 1). TheCMAA's Full Facility EnvironmentalAudit (FFEA), developed by AudubonInternational, states that it "is aninternal, self-assessment or evaluationthat uses standard, widely acceptedenvironmental management practicesto measure overall environmental per-formance." This is not an EMS orEMP, but could potentially be used todevelop an audit for an EMS, providedit addresses all the audit criteria listedin the EMS .• Environmental management on golffacilities is a topic of concern aroundthe globe. Mackay (2006) recentlysurveyed a number of organizationWeb sites around the world containinginformation on some aspects of envi-ronmental stewardship on golf courses .• The USGA's Green Section Record andits Turfgrass Environmental ResearchOnline (TERO) (http://usgatero.msu.edulcurrentpastissues.htm) site hasconsiderable environmental informationrelated to golf courses.• Environmental Institute for Golf(EIFG) (http://www.eifg.org/). The

Use of alternative irrigation water sources is justone example of infrastructure improvementsthat may already be implemented on the golfcourse prior to an EMSassessment.

EIG is a component of the Golf CourseSuperintendents Association of America,and their Web site is a portal for envi-ronmental information from varioussources related to golf clubs.

One point that is clear from theabove listing is that acronyms aboundin the environmental area. It is impor-tant to understand the differencebetween EMS (a holistic program thatincludes EMPs/BMPs and Environ-mental Assessment [EA]) and individualcomponents of an EMS - EMPs/BMPs, EA, and other components orelements. In the USA, as the EMSconcept becomes more defined anddeveloped, various entities will createtools, programs, literature, and otherresources to assist golf clubs in effi-cic;ntly developing their site-specificEMS or in auditing of EMS.

ELEMENTS OR FRAMEWORKOF GOLF COURSE EMSThe authors have adapted the basicelements of the generic USEPA EMS,but with some changes to better fit thegolf industry. Key EMS componentsappropriate for golf clubs are suggestedas: Plan, Implement, Monitor, andReview. These components are theframework for 18 practical steps orelements suggested for developing agolf course EMS plan and are illustratedin Figure 1. Although the EMS frame-work may evolve within the golf courseindustry, these suffice to adequatelyillustrate the EMS concept. Each of thesteps or elements of an EMS is brieflydefined in the first article (Carrow andFletcher, 2007) and in more detail intheir Web-based document on EMS(Carrow and Fletcher, 2007a).

In this article, the focus is onelements that are especially importantfor the golf course industry but that arenot dealt with in detail in more genericEMS documents, namely: identificationof significant environmental issues orimpacts; environmental managementprograms or BMPs for each environ-mental issue; and outreach. The firsttwo are central to EMS effectiveness,

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Figure ISuggested elements or steps in a golf course EMS.

IMPLEMENT4. Develop Environmental Management Programs (BMPs)S. Structure and Responsibilities6. Training, Awareness, and Competence7. Communications8. Outreach9. EMS Documentation

10. Document ControlII. Operational Control12. Emergency Preparedness and Response

REVIEW17. Management Review

and the third is a key opportunity forgolf courses.

IDENTIFICATIONIdentification of Significant Environ-mental Impacts/Issues (Element 3 ofFigure 1): In this step, how the golfcourse interacts with the environmentis assessed by identifying the club'senvironmental aspects and impacts anddetermining which are significant.Some of the environmental aspectsmay be regulated, while others maynot be. A comprehensive assessment ofenvironmental impacts may requireoutside assistance and involve consider-able effort. However, a comprehensiveassessment is normally a one-timeprocess. It would involve the wholegolf facility - course, other grounds,clubhouse, maintenance, etc. Whenreviewing the general information onEMS concepts by the USEPA or othersources, the documents will not contain

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specific information on this elementsince the particular environmentalimpacts are specific to an industry.However, this step is "the key element"in ultimately developing a successfulEMS.

During the environmental impactassessment process, courses shouldidentify specific products, operations,and activities from which any environ-mental aspects/impacts arise. Likewise,any monitoring that is performed onthese operations or activities for envi-ronmental purposes can be noted.For example, if generation of wasteproducts is noted as a significant envi-ronmental aspect, it would help toknow which operation(s) generate thewastes. It might also help to knowwhether these are monitored or other-wise measured in some manner. Thus,during the environmental impactassessment, the following informationmay arise that will assist in later EMSsteps:

• Current management practices tomediate or manage the particularenvironmental impact.• Infrastructure improvements that arebeing or have been made to mediate ormanage the particular environmentalimpact .• New or altered practices or infra-structure changes to improve BMPsfor the issue may be identified orbecome apparent .• Monitoring practices already inprocess .• Monitoring practices that will benecessary in the future.

We encourage golf courses to care-fully define what current practices andcurrent/past infrastructure improve-ments have been made to assist inalleviating or preventing a particularenvironmental issue. In Table 1,examples are provided of practices andinfrastructure improvements related tothe environmental issue of "Water-UseEfficiency/Conservation" that manycourses have instituted but that maynot be readily recognized by regulatoryagencies, environmental activities, orthe general public. A general estimateof costs associated with current prac-tices and infrastructure improvementswould be useful in demonstrating thecommitment of the course to moresustainable environmental management.

The primary environmental issuesin a golf course environmental assess-ment are summarized below. If afterthe assessment a particular issue doesnot reveal an environmental problemor concern, it still should be includedin the EMS along with any BMPs andmonitoring that is related to the issue.While some of these issues are routinelyincluded in current environmentalassessment schemes, others are not.Carrow and Fletcher (2007a) providethe reasoning for inclusion of issues notnormally considered, such as items 3,5, 9, and 10, where each of these is anemerging environmental concern.

1. Environmental planning anddesign of golf courses, additions,and renovations.

Table IExamples of water-use efficiency/conservation practicesand infrastructure improvements that may already be

implemented by a golf course prior to an EMSassessment.

Management, Personnel, and Education AspectsI. Scouting - costs2. Hand watering - hours and costs3. Night watering capability4. Staffing in irrigation control and irrigation maintenance - irrigation assistant5. Traffic controls and costs6. Management for water conservation

a. Height of cutb. Soil cultivation to promote root depthc. Evapotranspiration utilization for irrigation schedulingd. Selection and installation of drought-resistant landscape plantse. Natural vegetation areasf. Fertilization practices to minimize water useg. Pest management - early morning or late evening applications to reduce water loss;

use of Integrated Pest Management protocols.h. Wetting agent usage

7. Record keeping and costs8. Goal setting regarding water-use efficiency/conservation9. Education efforts - education taken by superintendent or any club official related to

water conservation; list benefits of golf courses and turf areas; publish water conser-vation plans; engage stakeholders (members, patrons, neighbors, general public) withthe benefits of water conservation.

Infrastructure Improvements10. Grass selection and establishment - adapted species and cultivars or climatic/soil

conditions; use of drought-resistant grasses, such as bermudagrassesII. Rain, leak, etc. loss controls and costs12. Current irrigation controls and hard costs (parts, power)13. Irrigation design and control improvements - zoning of heads into similar water use

areas; irrigation system design to take into account factors that influence water-useefficiency (slope, soil type, wind, etc.)

14. Possible irrigation methods (plant-based, soil-based, budget approach, deficit,atmosphere based); on-site weather station

15. Use of alternative (non-potable) irrigation water sources - reclaimed, water-harvestingfrom runoff, stormwater, saline sources, etc.

16. Metering - installation and ongoing calibration and replacement17. Infrastructure improvements made due to using alternative irrigation water - water

treatment, soil treatments, extra cultivation, drainage, etc.

2. Sustainable maintenance facilitydesign and operation.

3. Turfgrass and landscape plantselection.

4. Water-use efficiency/conservation.S. Irrigation water quality

management .6. Pesticides: water quality

management.7. Nutrients: water quality

management.8. Erosion and sediment control:

water quality management.9. Soil sustainability and quality.

10. Stormwater management.

11. Wildlife habitat management.12. Wetland and stream mitigation and

management.13. Aquatic biology and management

oflakes and ponds.14. Waste management.15. Energy management.16. Clubhouse and building EMS

concepts.17. Climatic and energy management.

Conducting a site assessment relatedto the above environmental issues mayrequire considerable time and effortwhen, for instance, water-use efficiency/

conservation and use of alternativeirrigation water sources are criticalissues for a golf course - a situationthat is becoming more common. Inmost cases, development of a compre-hensive BMP water-use efficiency /conservation plan for a golf course is a.process that is best done over a 1- or2-year period, especially if alternativeirrigation water sources or poor waterquality sources are part of the plan. Inother cases, where the water supply isknown and adequate in quantity andquality, site assessment is somewhateasier. In other instances, the "siteassessment" or information gatheringprocess requires contracting companiesto do detailed water audits of theexisting irrigation system and watersource options, along with waterquality assessment and other rathercomplex information gathering tasks.Carrow et al. (2007) presented adetailed discussion of these factors anda template to follow, includingirrigation system design.

Assessment of water-use efficiency /conservation should be done withattention to the future, since it mayinvolve costly and time-consumingchallenges related to the variousstrategies, especially irrigation systemdesign, irrigation system capability forscheduling, landscape design alterations,and changes necessary for use of one ormore alternative irrigation watersources. Ultimately, the BMP plan forwater conservation within an overallEMS can be no better than the infor-mation that goes into the decision-making process. Thus, site assessmentin this area is especially important.

So, this initial plan can be made, butit may change over time as additionalinformation is gained - for example,an anticipated irrigation water sourcemay be deemed unacceptable due toquality or quantity constraints after amore detailed assessment is conducted.An initial EMS plan may be developedwith a central component of the planconsisting of laying out how and whenthe full site assessment information

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Golf course maintenance facilities should be sustainable both in their design and operation.

Development of new low-water-use grasses for golf courses is an important continuing effort. TheUSGA Turfgrass Environmental Research Program is funding research at Colorado State University inthe development of saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), a turfgrass species with exceptional salinity toleranceand growth potential in hot environmental conditions.

OUTREACHOutreach (Element 9 of Figure 1). TheUSEPA EMS consists of 17 elements,but we have broken out "communica-tions and outreach" into two elements(USEPA 2007). In addition to internalcommunication directed toward EMSimprovement, golf courses shouldstrongly consider becoming an aggres-sive outreach and education re-source for the community. Thecommunity is interested in the envi-ronment and may not be very wellinformed on the environmental sus-tainability and stewardship activities ofa golf course. An EMS provides anexcellent vehicle to use in communityoutreach and education. AudubonInternational (2007, 2002) has severalfact sheets and other informationrelated to this topic. Outreach andeducation activities will require a planand commitment, such as:

heart of an overall EMS. As noted,specific information on these twoaspects will not be found in generalEMS documents. It is beyond thescope of this article to present detailedBMP templates for each environmentalissue, but several of the environmentalissues have well-developed BMPsthrough Audubon International (2007,2002), Carrow et aI. (2007), and othersources. In some cases for the emergingenvironmental issues, BMPs will needto be better defined within the industry.

International, 2002). The BMPs canbe combined into the overall EMS.For each environmental issue, theBMP should entail the following:• Include all current practices andpast infrastructure improvements intheBMP.• Add additional practices as required.• Include comments on any infrastruc-ture improvements that are plannedthat will enhance management of theissue. An EMS is an ongoing, cyclicprocess that allows and encouragesimprovements over time.

Identification/assessment of environ-mental issues coupled with the variousBMPs to manage these issues is the

EMPACTION PLANDevelop Environmental ManagementPrograms (Element 5 of Figure 1). Animportant part of the planning effortis defining what your organizationintends to achieve in the environmentalarea. To achieve your objectives andtargets, you need an action plan -also known as an environmental man-agement program (EMP) or BMP(Carrow et aI., 2005). Essentially, foreach environmental issue identified inElement 3 "Identify/Assess Environ-mental Aspects or Impacts," BMPsshould be developed that are specific tothe issue. The various BMP programsshould be linked directly to yourobjectives and targets - that is, theprogram should describe how theorganization will translate its goals andpolicy commitments into concreteactions so that environmental objec-tives and targets a:e achieved (Audubon

may be obtained and then integratedinto a future plan. That is the nature ofEMS and BMP - not all the answersto questions need to be obtained beforean initial plan is developed. EMS iscyclic in nature and is intended tocontinue the processes of planning/implementation/monitoring/reviewand continue the cycle again.

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• Identify the key education person atthe facility.• Develop educational tools -displays, newsletters, brochures, pressreleases.• Continuing education plans andactivities - turf managers, community,crew, site managers/owners.• Formal training of turf managers -environmental turfgrass managementor sustainable turf grass management.• Site use for educational activities.Develop educational programs for thecommunity (such as schoolchildren,scouts) .

IMPLICATIONS OF EMSFOR THE GOLF INDUSTRYIn Part One of this series on EMSs,some key implications of the applica-tion of the EMS concept for golf coursemanagement were noted (Carrow andFletcher, 2007). Additional EMS keyimplications directly related to either aclub or components of the turf grassindustry are:• An EMS allows combining togetherinto one system the various BMPs foreach particular environmental issue. Itbecomes an overall grid to understandthe diverse environmental issues andhow to manage them.• As the EMS evolves, there will bea substantial need for: educationalmaterials, site-assessment protocols andtools related to each environmentalissue, development of concise BMPprotocols and tools for each environ-mental issue, auditing and certificationprotocols and tools, and services toconduct on-site environmental assess-ments and audits. Organizations, con-sultants, and associations that can pro-vide these services will arise. Due tothe comprehensive nature of EMS, itmay be attractive to golf courses toseek service providers that can provideholistic service packages.• Related to the previous statement,educational or information "packaging"must become more focused, targeted,and integrated. General information oreven specific information in diverse

places will not be nearly as usefulwhen so many environmental issuesmust be addressed in one EMS. Thesystematic packaging of environmentalinformation may be at various levels ofdetail, depending on the target audi-ence, but for the turf manager, specificdetail is necessary.• As detailed BMPs are developed foreach environmental issue, applicationto specific sites is essential since thevery nature of BMPs and environ-mental issues is site-specific - one sizedoes not fit all. A comprehensive BMPtemplate must be refined for each sitebased on site knowledge and science.• As "environmental management"evolves into the normal day-by-dayoperations of a facility in addition tothe current daily agronomic, personnel,and economic considerations thatmanagers must consider, environmentalstaff positions may arise, such as anassistant superintendent/environmentalspecialist.• For complex issues, such as water-use efficiency/conservation, irrigationwater quality (when water quality ischallenging), and salt-affected turf grasssites, consultants with in-depth under-standing of these complexities will bein demand.• Education of future turf managersmust evolve as the EMS concept be-comes integrated into all facets of theturf industry (not just golf courses).Students will require: course contentto understand the complex issues inmuch more detail than is the currentstatus; introduction to the terminology,concepts, and management relatedto each of the environmental issues(depending on the issue, the detail orintensity will vary); and ability tothink and manage based on a"systems" approach.

In the end, whether individual golfcourses adopt an EMS structure ad hocor the industry at-large develops acommon, accepted template for EMSdelivery and verification of practices,one thing remains true: the devil is inthe details. Systematically recognizing

environmental issues for the facility tomanage is important, but how they aremanaged is where substance parts withintent. It is our contention that anysustained effort at improving the envi-ronmental practices of golf courseoperations industry-wide must includesome type of voluntary, verifiableEMS-like program and must beintentional, measurable, and real.

REFERENCES1. Audubon International, Guide toEnvironmental Stewardship on the Golf Course(2nd Edition), 2002. http://www.audubon-international.org.2. Audubon International. 2007. AudubonInternational Web site. Selkirk, N.Y.http://www.auduboninternational.org.

3. Carrow, R. N., R. R. Duncan, and D.Wieneke. 2005. BMPs: critical for the golfindustry. Golf Course Management. 73(6):81-84.

4. Carrow, R. N., and K. A. Fletcher. 2007.Environmental Management Systems. USGAGreen Section Record. 45(4):23-27.

5. Carrow, R. N., and K. A. Fletcher. 2007a.Environmental Management Systems (EMS)for Golf Courses. An educational guidebookdeveloped by the University of Georgia andAudubon International. Posted on http://www.auduboninternational.org/e-Source/and http://www.georgiaturf.com.6. Carrow, R. N., R. R. Duncan, andC. Waltz. 2007. Best Management Practices(BMPs) Water-Use Efficiency/ConservationPlan for Golf Courses: Template and Guide-lines. www.georgiaturfcom .7. Dodson, R. 2005. SustainableGolf Courses -A Guide to Environmental Stewardship. JohnWiley & Sons, Hoboken, N J.8. EBS. 2007. Environmental BusinessSolutions Web site that includes e_Par™information. http://www.epar.com.au.9. GEM. 2007. The U.S. Air Force's Golf ClubEnvironmental Management (GEM) ProgramWeb site. http://www.afcee.brooks.af.mil/ec/golf! default. asp.10. Mackay,). 2006. Golfand the environmentaround the world. USGA Green Section Record.44(5):33-34.11. USEPA. 2007. USEPA Web site onEnvironmental Management Systems.http://www.epa.gov /ems/index.html.

DR. ROBERT N. CARROW is professor)Tuifgrass Stresses/Soils) The University ojGeorgia) Griffin Campus; DR. KEVIN A.FLETCHER is director ojprograms andadministration) Audubon International)Selkirk) N. Y

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