Economic and sustainability benefits of the United States Golf Association's investment in water, fertilizer, and pesticide management research

Abstract

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has invested more than US$45 million in turfgrass and environmental research since 1983. This effort has developed research-based management practices that have contributed to the efficient use of water, fertilizer, and pesticides on U.S. golf courses. Still, there is insufficient evidence of the economic benefits. Therefore, our objective was to estimate the golf industry's resource and economic benefits from the USGA's investment in water, fertilizer, and pesticide management research. Data were collected from an online survey focused on the benefits associated with golf facilities' adoption of research-based management practices in six primary areas of interest: (a) evapotranspiration-based irrigation scheduling (water budgeting), (b) soil moisture sensing, (c) best management practices that reduce nonpoint source pollution by fertilizers and pesticides, (d) putting green construction techniques, (e) naturalized roughs, and (f) improved turfgrass cultivars. Only the first three areas are discussed in this study. Based on data from the survey, multiple econometric models were developed for each of the management practices. All three research-based management practices have been widely adopted throughout the U.S. golf industry. Across the three management practices studied, modeling indicated a total annual financial benefit of US$1.03 billion to the golf industry. This compares with an estimated yearly Green Section budget of roughly US$10 million, of which US$2 million is for turfgrass and environmental research. Research investment by governments and industry leaders is critical to the sustainability of the golf industry.

Economic and sustainability benefits of the United States Golf Association's research investment in putting green construction, naturalized rough, and turfgrass breeding

“… Note . The proportions of adopters reporting nonfinancial benefits associated with evapotranspiration‐based irrigation, soil moisture meters, and fertilizer and pesticide best management practices were originally reported in our companion paper (Thompson et al., 2021). …”

“…Data were collected and analyzed as described in our companion paper (Thompson et al, 2021) The survey had seven major sections to profile the facilities and glean relevant data on the adoption and benefits of each interest area. For each of the three areas of interest under study, the survey contained questions on the respondents' familiarity with, adoption of, timing of adoption, and perceived benefit of associated management practices.…”

“…Data were collected and analyzed as described in our companion paper (Thompson et al., 2021). Briefly, an online survey was designed, programmed, and administered by Fleishman–Hillard's TRUE Global Intelligence research division that focused on the benefits associated with golf facilities’ adoption of research‐based management practices in six primary areas of interest: (a) ET‐based irrigation scheduling (i.e., water budgeting), (b) soil‐moisture sensing, (c) best management practices that reduce nonpoint source pollution of fertilizers and pesticides, (d) PGCT, (e) NR, and (f) ITC.…”

“…Estimates for industry‐wide annual savings were generated from the number of total adopting facilities multiplied by the savings in USD from the cost savings regression model. Other modeling details and a brief profile of the survey respondents are available in our companion paper (Thompson et al., 2021).…”

“…The United States Golf Association (USGA) has invested in turfgrass research since the founding of the Green Section in 1920. In 1983, concerns about the recent widespread droughts and claims of nutrient and pesticide pollution caused leaders to increase research investments and create the Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program to organize the turfgrass literature, study turfgrass stress‐physiology mechanisms, select and breed new resource‐efficient grasses, further advance efficient cultural management, and assess nonpoint source pollution with fertilizers and pesticides (Thompson et al., 2021). Through the Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program, which was renamed the Mike Davis Program for Advancing Golf Course Management (hereafter referred to as the Davis Program) in 2021, more than US$45 million has been invested in approximately 800 university‐led projects from 1983 to 2020.…”