A new strategy for golf course over seeding that generates revenue.
In Jackson Hole, Wyoming we have two seasons, Winter and Road Construction. Since November I've been visiting golf courses in areas of the country that are warm enough to allow for golfing during the winter months, mainly Las Vegas, Phoenix and Southern California.
If you are a golf course superintendent in these areas you may have the funding to scalp the warm season grass off the fairways in September and over seed with rye grass to offer green play 12 months a year.
To achieve this, there are three ways to prep for overseeding rye grass into a warm season grass stand:
- Scalp and Dispose of grass clipping - disposal fees of $15,000 + labor.Most courses I surveyed opt for scalping and were averaging from 350 tons of Bermuda grass clippings, but courses will have to pay the disposal cost, or will they?
- Chemical burn down agents can be used to reduce the volume of biomass but you still have pesticide contaminated, but dried out biomass to dispose of - pesticide cost of $10,000 + labor + disposal. In a spirit of becoming more sustainable, why would any Superintendent willingly subject the environment to more pesticides? The biomass subjected to burn down pesticides are not even good for compost without risking carry over.
- Topdressing sand at 40 tons per acre and seeding into the sand - sand cost of $25,000 +labor. According to Ohio State University, Topdressing is not without its problems, like when the sand moves or shifts under foot and vehicle loads. This can cause a rough and potentially rutted playing surface. Another problem that may occur is the accumulation of excess water within the sand layer due to the shallow layering over slowly permeable native soil. My question is this, are you potentially creating an unknown problem in future years that can cost you your job?
BioPac'r now offers a 4th, Very Sustainable Alternative.
4. "Grass 2 Cash" - We recommend that courses no longer view grass clippings as a cost, but rather a new revenue stream. As time goes on I guarantee that courses will begin to collect fairway clippings throughout the season and cash in on another $50,000 - $100,000+ in revenue without taking a chance of screwing up your soil profile, increasing pesticide exposure or increasing landfill waste. Get a BioPac'r with the funding you are designating currently in your budget to disposal of the green scalped clippings and simply package them with the BioPac'r where they anaerobically ensile (ferment, pickle, etc) into a highly nutritious silage product. Cucumbers ensile into Pickles with the aid of Vinegar. Lactic acid forming bacteria not only pickles the biomass, they also breakdown and degrade any pesticides previously applied to the turf, resulting in a safe, pesticide-free cattle feed.
Next, Yellowstone Compact & Commodities will find a buyer for your 350 tons of Lawn Clipping Silage, broker your product to end users, earning the course anywhere from $17,000 -$35,000 depending on current alfalfa hay prices.
YCC will set up the pickup and delivery of this product to the farmer or end user. At the end of the month the course receives a check less delivery and brokerage fees and will realize a new revenue stream.
This new revenue from your grass clipping silage (livestock feed) can now help pay for the ryegrass grass seed, a total windfall for courses that can not currently overseed their courses due to budget constraints. A green course is a more appealing and profitable course. And when we say GREEN, we don't necessary mean the color! This is truly Sustainable!
Until Next time...
