Marching into renewal and regeneration

Dear Andrew,

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! We have all looked forward to this official start of Spring as it brings longer daylight, more golf, and fresh ideas.

Consider all the excitement with today, the official equinox next Monday, March Madness, and before we know it, The Masters! If you’re in the North, these anticipations can be a lifesaver from the dark cold Winter, as they usher in the time of new growth, ecologically and metaphorically.

We also invite you to consider the above graphic from Giles Hutchins’ blog The Nature of Business, which depicts the natural “Rhythm of Life” for both nature and her regenerative leaders. The radical reinventions and reflections of Autumn and Winter spring us forward into the renewal and growth of a new season. How does that resonate with you?

For Driving the Green, this past Autumn and Winter were certainly a time of re-envisioning and stepping forward into new possibilities as Andrew led the Sustainability Panel for the National Links Trust Symposium on Municipal Golf, and we embarked on our journey as sustainability consultants to put the industry’s best ideas into action since the beginning of this calendar year.

This week, Andre attends the VoLo Foundation’s Climate Correction Conference in Orlando (stay tuned for key learnings). Meanwhile, Andrew works to restore East Potomac Golf Links, Langston Golf Course, and Rock Creek Park Golf Course (three municipal courses owned by the National Parks Service and operated by the National Links Trust in Washington DC). Alex continues to drive sustainable change in sports through Blue Strike Environmental and his involvement with the Council for Responsible Sport.

In this newsletter’s edition, we bring you fresh insight into the “circular bionutrient economy” in addition to a deep dive on the Audubon standards. Enjoy!

For this month’s articles:
- Andre discusses pee-cycling and the circular bionutrient economy with Cornell professor Dr. Rebecca Nelson and shares a more technical overview in a companion article titled “What is pee-cycling?”
- Andrew discusses Audubon International sustainability certification with Kay Findlay of Audubon International along with Paul Sibley, superintendent at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve, and Kevin Kolesar, general manager at Washington Golf Course.
The ‘Sustainability News & Headlines’ features golf industry stories and articles from the past few weeks.
Lastly, stop by our ‘Short Putts and Deep Drives’ section for DTG recommendations for deeper learning or some good, old fashioned entertainment.

Thank you for your continued support and please forward this newsletter to your friends and colleagues to help us grow our wonderful community of sustainability champions.

Alex Baxter, Andre Paul & Andrew Szunyog

Wed, Mar 16

What is Pee-Cycling?

Pee-cycling is an innovation that diverts urine before it joins a combined waste stream (urine, feces, and chemical treatment), safely reclaims the nutrients from our urine, and then applies those nutrients toward a productive use (agriculture, turf grass management, et cetera).

Thu, Mar 17

Sustainability Certification Series: Audubon International

This is the first article in a series that will outline the different certifying bodies in the golf and sports industries. These specific organizations are vital to the green sports movement because they provide teams, businesses, and organizations with a blueprint for managing and implementing sustainability focused social, environmental, and economic programs. The first such certifying organization we will cover is Audubon International.

Wed, Mar 16

The Alchemy of Waste to Liquid Gold

Ur-ine our thoughts, circular pee-conomy!

Pee-cycling is a part of what the Soil Factory Network and Cornell professor Dr. Rebecca Nelson refer to as the “circular bionutrient economy”, which promises an old but bold solution to closing the loop between the production and disposal of key nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. In simplest terms, what now harms the environment might instead save it.

Sustainability News & Headlines

1) THE PLAYERS hosts panel discussion on environment. “Championing Change” was conducted at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse on Friday, March 4th, ahead of last week’s THE PLAYERS Championship. Participants included representatives and advocates across diverse industries in Northeast Florida who are leading environmental sustainability, resiliency and inclusion efforts in the community. The goal of the discussion was to promote an exchange of information and best practices that extend beyond current standards. Members of the panel addressed environmental issues from their own professional perspectives. (By Shaun Ryan, Ponte Vedra Recorder)

2) Callaway Golf Company Publishes Inaugural Sustainability Report. Last week Callaway Golf Company published its inaugural Sustainability Report, detailing the Company's commitment and approach toward conducting business in a responsible and sustainable manner. Callaway's inaugural Sustainability Report was prepared with reference to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and is committed to publishing a bi-annual Sustainability Report, which will continue to improve transparency and aid in its future sustainability efforts. (Published by Callaway Golf Company)

3) Long Excluded, Female Golfers Are Now Key Driver of Game’s Growth. No golf demographic segment has seen as much growth during the past two-year stretch of the COVID-19 pandemic than female golfers. According to the National Golf Foundation, the percentage of women on the course rose to 25% in 2021, up from 19% a decade ago. An even bigger jump is among junior golfers, where more than 35%, or 1.1 million, are girls, compared to 15% in 2000. That group is becoming more diverse, too: More than a quarter are non-Caucasian—a number that was just 6% 20 years ago. For off-course venues, Women now account for 45% of all participating golfers. (by Michael Croley, Bloomberg)

Photo by Kasturi Laxmi Mohit on Unsplash

Join our Agroforestry Initiative!

We have less than 100 trees to go to reach our goal of 1,000 trees planted! Thank you to everyone that has helped us get to this point! Don’t stop now, keep on exercising and helping us plant trees!

Thanks to our partnership with Hunter Industries Golf Irrigation, we are helping Trees for the Future achieve its mission to end hunger and poverty by training farmers to regenerate their land while helping to sequester carbon emissions. Click HERE to learn more about this project and how you can join to help us reach our goal of 1,000 trees!

Were you forwarded this email? Click the subscribe button to become a member of our sustainable community.

Short Putts and Deep Drives

Easier than an uphill, slightly right to left 3-footer for eagle, we share our thoughts, ponderings and explorations that are can’t miss.

Andrew - Webinar Series: Municipal Golf Network Webinar Program: Winter Park Golf Course (National Links Trust). This free webinar program is one of the major projects I’m overseeing in my role with the National Links Trust. The first episode will spotlight the renovation project of the Winter Park Golf Course (WP9) in Winter Park, Florida. This nine-hole facility first opened in 1914 and after 100 years of service to the community, the existing business model was failing and the golf course was thought of as more of an eyesore than revenue generating public park. In 2016, the decision was made to renovate the golf course and what emerged from the dust is a model for how other municipalities can do the same. Panelists will include Steve Leary (former Mayor of Winter Park), Keith Rhebb (WP9 co-architect), Matt Ginella (golf media personality and WP9 community advocate) and Gregg Pascale (current WP9 General Manager). Webinar Details: Wednesday, March 23 - 12:00-1:00pm ET - Click the link above to register.
(Long Drive)
Andre -PDF Guide: Guide to Starting a Community-Scale Urine Diversion Program (Publication by The Rich Earth Institute). The Rich Earth Institute of Brattleboro, Vermont enacts the vision for “a world with clean water and fertile soil achieved by reclaiming the nutrients from our bodies as elements in a life sustaining cycle.” The organization rethinks urine as a liquid gold resource, not a waste. The Urine Diversion Guide includes answers to any questions you might have about pee-cycling and how it works, should you wish to dive deeper into the technicalities!
(Long Drive)
Andre - Article: AfroReggae Uses Pee to Power its Sound System at Carnival. This short article tells about how Carnival in Rio De Janeiro used electric urinals to collect urine and power batteries that were then used for powering sound systems and music. Their slogan goes: “The less you pee in the streets, the longer the party goes.” How can we use culture to support ecology? What role might golf play in the leading of more sustainable ecologies through cultural expression? (Short Putt)
Andre - Article: Can vinegar from apple tree branches control poa annua? (By Dr. Daniel Hahn of Hahn Turf Agronomy) Daniel Hahn discusses the potential for wood vinegar from apple tree branches to selectively control weeds in poa annua turfgrass systems. Pyrolysis of pruned apple tree branches (a by-product of the apple industry) can produce both biochar and wood vinegar. The latter may be used as a natural pesticide and weed control, though some potential for damage still remains at high concentrations. While 2021 research showed inconclusive results, findings invite the turf grass industry to look further into natural alternatives for pest and weed control that can aid integrated pest management.
(Short Putt)

We want to hear from you! What are you interested in learning? Do you have a story that you want to tell? How can we help you build your foundation for the future? Send your messages and share your ideas to connect@drivingthegreen.golf.