The Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) presented a group of golf associations in Colorado with its 2008 Environmental Communicator of the Year award. The honor is sponsored by Project EverGreen and was presented at the TOCA annual meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in early May.
“The TOCA Environmental Communicator of the Year award is given annually to an active green industry member for outstanding efforts in communicating the benefits of environmental stewardship to a particular audience within the turf and ornamental industry,” according to TOCA.
The allied golf associations of Colorado were presented the award for a campaign based on their 2002 study “Golf in Colorado: An Independent Study of the Economic Impact and Environmental Aspects of Golf in Colorado.” Among other things, the study was able to define the environmental inputs needed to operate a Colorado golf course and calculate the amount of water consumed by Colorado golf courses annually.
The study was performed by Colorado State University and THK Consulting at the direction of the following group of golf associations: the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association, Colorado Golf Association, Colorado Women’s Golf Association, Colorado Section of the PGA, Colorado Chapter of the Club Managers Association of America and the Colorado Chapter of the National Golf Course Owners Association. Joe McCleary, GCSAA certified golf course superintendent at Saddle Rock Golf Course, Aurora, Colorado, was the project leader.
