Funds GCSAA’s Golf Course Environmental Profile project
The Toro Foundation has donated $50,000 to The Environmental Institute for Golf, the philanthropic organization of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), to continue its support of the association’s Golf Course Environmental Profile project.
This most recent donation will help The Institute fund the third phase of the multi-year project being undertaken by GCSAA that will evaluate environmental performance on golf courses. This phase will collect data from golf course superintendents on the amount of nutrients applied to golf courses. Surveys will be distributed beginning March 19, with the cutoff date for the receipt of information April 27. Toro also funded phases one and two of the project.
"We have been pleased by the response rate of the first two phases," GCSAA Director of Research Clark Throssell, Ph.D., said. "Thanks in large part to these generous donations from The Toro Foundation, the information obtained by these surveys will help GCSAA to better serve golf course superintendents in managing their facilities."
Toro presented a $50,000 check to GCSAA CEO Steve Mona, CAE, and Bill Kubly, chairman of The Institute’s board of trustees, Feb. 23 at the Golf Industry Show in Anaheim, Calif. The Golf Course Environmental Profile project is designed to collect information that will allow superintendents and other facility personnel to become better managers, help them operate more efficiently and lead to GCSAA developing more valuable programs and services. Such information will include details about playing surfaces, natural resources, environmental stewardship efforts and maintenance practices on the golf course. Throssell indicated the data are still being analyzed from the first two phases and the first comprehensive report of the first two phases will appear in a peer-reviewed scientific journal this year.
"We believe in the importance of advancing the co-existence of golf with the environment," said Michael J. Hoffman, chairman and CEO of The Toro Company. "GCSAA’s Golf Course Environmental Profile is a project that falls directly in line with that focus. We are pleased to partner with the Institute in this valuable effort."
The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) is a leading worldwide provider of outdoor beautification products, support services and integrated solutions. With sales of $1.8 billion in 2006, Toro is committed to providing environmentally responsible products of customer-valued quality and innovation. Since 1914, the company has built a tradition of excellence around a number of strong brands that serve a customer base that includes golf course superintendents, groundskeepers, sports field managers, landscape and irrigation contractors, fruit and vegetable growers, and homeowners. The Toro Company is headquartered at 8111 Lyndale Avenue in Bloomington, Minn. Visit the company Web site at www.thetorocompany.com.
The Environmental Institute for Golf, the philanthropic organization of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), is a collaborative effort of the environmental and golf communities, dedicated to strengthening the compatibility of golf with the natural environment. The Institute concentrates on delivering programs and services involving research, education and outreach that communicate the best management practices of environmental stewardship on the golf course. For more on The Institute, visit www.eifg.org.
Celebrating its 80th anniversary, GCSAA is a leading golf organization and has as its focus golf course management. Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 21,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.
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For more information contact:
Teri Harris, GCSAA managing director, development, at (785) 832-4465 or tharris@gcsaa.org
Clark Throssell, Ph.D., GCSAA director of research, at (800) 472-7878 or cthrossell@gcsaa.org
Judson Tharin, Toro senior community relations specialist, at (800) 348-2424
Contact:
Jeff Bollig, GCSAA director of communications
(800) 472-7878, ext. 4430 or jbollig@gcsaa.org