The Peaks and Prairies GCSA leads the development of statewide best management practices with a grant from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
Lawrence, Kan. – The hard work of the Peaks and Prairies Golf Course Superintendents Association has resulted in the publication of “Best Management Practices for Wyoming Golf Courses”.
The Wyoming BMPs were developed in part by using the BMP Planning Guide and Template created by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and funded and supported by the USGA.
The Peaks and Prairies GCSA received a $7,500 BMP grant that GCSAA funded through the association’s Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG) in part by the PGA Tour. The BMP grant program provides funding through the EIFG to chapters for developing new guides, updating existing guides or for verification programs. GCSAA’s goal is to have all 50 states offer established BMPs by the end of 2020.
The Peaks and Prairies GCSA is primarily comprised of superintendents from both Wyoming and Montana. Chapter members also worked together to create BMPs for Montana, which were published earlier this year.
The Wyoming BMPs provide guidance in 12 key areas including planning, design and construction; irrigation; surface water management; and pollinator protection, that speak to varied topography in the state.
Peter J. Grass, CGCS, superintendent at Hilands Golf Club in Billings, Mont., and a past president of GCSAA, led the Peaks and Prairies GCSA BMP Steering Committee.
“One of the biggest challenges for us is the diversity of land types, natural features and weather,” Grass said. “We go from facilities in high mountains that are snow covered five to six months of the year to those in dry open prairie lands.”
Other GCSAA members who served on the committee included, Tom Bengtson, superintendent at Glacier View Golf Club, West Glacier, Mont.; Jason Busch, superintendent at The Powder Horn Golf Club in Sheridan, Mont.; Dwayne Dillinger, CGCS, superintendent at Bell Nob Golf Course in Gillette, Wyo.; Dane Gamble, superintendent at Bridger Creek Golf Course, Bozeman, Mont.; Stephen Grass, assistant superintendent at Hilands Golf Club in Billings, Mont.; Rick Hathaway, superintendent at Rock Creek Cattle Co. in Deer Lodge, Mont.; Jory Horsley, assistant superintendent at The Powder Horn Golf Club in Sheridan, Mont.; Jason Lamb, superintendent at Sidney (Mont.) Country Club; Zac Leader, assistant superintendent at Sidney (Mont.) Country Club; Dan Tolson, CGCS, superintendent at 3 Creek Ranch Golf Club in Jackson, Wyo.; and Garrett Turner, superintendent at The Reserve at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Mont.
The BMPs were reviewed by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and the Northern Plains Resource Council, a grassroots conservation and family agriculture group.
“We really benefitted from them being involved,” Grass said. “Their suggestions, being from diverse perspectives and backgrounds, helped make it a much stronger document.”
To read “Best Management Practices for Wyoming Golf Courses” and to learn more about GCSAA’s BMP program, visit www.gcsaa.org/bmp.
About GCSAA and the EIFG
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) is a leading golf organization in the United States. Its focus is on golf course management, and since 1926 GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the U.S. and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to nearly 19,000 members in more than 78 countries. The association’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, or find us on Facebook or Twitter. Visit our industry-leading magazine at GCMonline.com.
The Environmental Institute for Golf is the philanthropic organization of the GCSAA. Its mission is to foster sustainability through research, awareness, education, programs and scholarships for the benefit of golf course management professionals, golf facilities and the game. Visit EIFG at www.eifg.org, or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
Contact:
Angela Hartmann
Director, Marketing and Communications
Phone: 800-472-7878, ext. 3647 or 785-393-1361 (cell)
ahartmann@gcsaa.org
Mike Strauss
Manager, Media Relations
Phone: 800-472-7878, ext. 5164
mstrauss@gcsaa.org
