Superintendents: Best Management Practices

Superintendents are frequently the experts in sustainability on a golf course, yet their work can often go unnoticed by both golfers and local communities.

Gina Rizzi of Radius Sports Group is helping superintendents and golf courses establish guides for Best Management Practices, on a state-by-state basis, to promote communication and engagement with stakeholders.

"Sustainability is a term that has been overused and people don’t necessarily understand,” explains Rizzi.

"What it means is how do we meet the needs of today without compromising the needs of future generations. In other words, how are we balancing the impacts around the environment, people and business, without compromising the needs of the future?”

Prompted by the GCSAA’s guidance for all states to have Best Management Practice Guides in place by the end of 2020, Rizzi is working with superintendents in different states to develop guides specific to those geographical regions, including sections on surface water management, integrated pest management and pollinator protection.

Each guide is unique to that state and is helping courses, customers and communities understand the good work being undertaken and led by superintendents.

"What we are seeing is an increase in desire to communicate more with stakeholders in the community about environmental stewardship and the good things that are being done, and this is one reason why Best Management Practices guides make sense,” adds Rizzi.