(WBNG) — When the top golfers from the U.S. and Europe face off for the Ryder Cup this week at Long Island’s famed Black Course at Bethpage State Park, they’ll be playing on a public course renowned for its sustainability and engineered by Cornell researchers.
The Black Course is one of 23 state park courses and 18 facilities that have benefited from the Cornell Turfgrass Program in partnership with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to deliver environmentally responsible practices.
State park superintendents follow best management practices, a set of science-based standards co-authored by Cornell and the New York Golf Course Foundation.
Cornell research has informed such practices, such as managing soil health, reducing pesticide inputs through the incorporation of integrated pest management techniques, and reducing fertilizer use.
“Our long-term relationship has allowed them to trust not relying on as many chemical pesticides, not relying on as much nutrients, not relying on as much energy-intensive practices, creating more reduced mowing areas,” said Frank Rossi, Associate Professor at the School of Integrated Plant Science at Cornell.
The seemingly small practices add up to major environmental benefits, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, from Beaver Island State Park golf course outside Buffalo to Montauk Downs on the east end of Long Island.
From 2001 to 2009, the Bethpage project redefined golf course integrated pest management on putting greens, proving that a 45% reduction in nutrients was possible while maintaining acceptable playing conditions.
State park superintendents follow best management practices, a set of science-based standards co-authored by Cornell and the New York Golf Course Foundation.
Additionally, they collaborate with Cornell Cooperative Extension research specialists on third-party reviews of their infrastructure, labor and inputs, with a focus on preventing pollution.
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