{"id":896374,"date":"2026-09-18T09:18:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T09:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/896374\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T09:18:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T09:18:14","slug":"science-and-technology-help-florida-golf-courses-be-good-neighbors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/896374\/","title":{"rendered":"Science and technology help Florida golf courses be good neighbors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before the first golfer tees off each morning at Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park, superintendent Bryce Gibson is already walking the fairways, listening to birdsong, scouting dry spots and preparing 110 acres of maintained turf for the day ahead.<\/p>\n

\"\"Sunrise at Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely peaceful,\u201d Gibson said. \u201cWe get up early before the day breaks. We get mowing, but you get that little reprieve where you\u2019re walking from place to place while they\u2019re mowing, and you hear nature all around you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Bryce Gibson inspects the course at Interlachen Country Club (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n

That early morning ritual is part of a much larger story unfolding across Florida\u2019s nearly 1,200 golf courses – one where science, sustainability and innovation are changing how courses manage water, fertilizers and the environment around them.<\/p>\n

Florida has become the national model for environmentally responsible golf course management. The state is the only one in the country with a certified golf course best management practices program – a distinction that J. Brian Unruh, professor and associate director of the University of Florida\u2019s West Florida Research and Education Center, helped build.<\/p>\n

\"\"J Bryan Unruh at the University of Florida’s Plant Science Center (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re the only state in the nation with a golf course best management practice certification program,\u201d Unruh said.<\/p>\n

The program, which originated with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, was written into state statute in 2022 and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis. It covers everything from environmental monitoring and irrigation to fertilization and pesticide management.<\/p>\n

Unruh\u2019s team at UF was also selected by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America to develop a national BMP initiative, which provided all 50 states with a guiding document for golf course management.<\/p>\n

Gibson keeps the BMP manual on his desk at all times. Interlachen has four BMP-certified crew members, and both Gibson and his integrated pest management technician recertified within the past year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just nice to have a guideline so we\u2019re all on the same page,\u201d Gibson said.<\/p>\n

At the heart of the sustainability push is an ancient practice getting a modern upgrade: composting.<\/p>\n

Eban Bean, an associate professor and extension specialist in UF\u2019s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, says the sign of quality compost is simple – you can\u2019t identify what went into it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t really tell what the original material was that went into the composting process,\u201d Bean said. \u201cAnd that means that this has been well broken down and the nutrients have become available.\u201d<\/p>\n

Compost is the result of biological breakdown of organic materials – a blend of \u201cbrowns,\u201d such as manure, food waste and biosolids from wastewater treatment plants, and \u201cgreens,\u201d such as leaves, grass clippings and sticks. As that material breaks down, carbon is released and nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus concentrate in what remains, creating a natural, slow-release fertilizer.<\/p>\n

Unruh said compost use in golf course management is still relatively new but gaining traction fast – particularly in Florida, where sandy soils struggle to hold water or nutrients.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompost addition in turfgrass management as a whole is relatively new, and in the golf side of the world, we\u2019re just really kind of starting to wrestle with that,\u201d Unruh said.<\/p>\n

Gibson has already seen the results firsthand at Interlachen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do see definitely an 85% increase in water holding capacity,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t see the dry spots forming as quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bean noted one important caution: because compost functions as a fertilizer, users may not need to apply additional inorganic fertilizers alongside it.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust be mindful of the amount of nitrogen that you\u2019re putting down on the lawn or on your turfgrass,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

One reliable marker of a high-quality product, Bean said, is certification from the U.S. Composting Council.<\/p>\n

\"\"Golf Course Superintendent’s Association Convention in Orlando. (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n

At the Golf Industry Show in Orlando – the annual convention of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America – one booth drew a steady stream of curious superintendents with a simple side-by-side demonstration: two strainers, one filled with peat moss, one with a product called LiveSoil.<\/p>\n

When water was poured over both, the peat moss drained quickly. The Live Soil held.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I could pour the peat moss that fast,\u201d said Neil Curtis, the founder behind Live Soil. \u201cThe peat moss, I can just turn it over, it\u2019s gonna come right out. If I had poured this fast, it would accumulate on top – it started holding, and it puddled up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Neil Curtis demonstrates his compost product. (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n

Curtis\u2019s story begins not on a golf course, but in Jamaica. He is the executive director of Farm Up Jamaica, a 501(c)3 nonprofit he founded in 2013 to help Jamaican farmers grow food, reduce imported food dependency and create sustainable livelihoods.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat started in Jamaica,\u201d Curtis said. \u201cIf I didn\u2019t do the nonprofit, there\u2019d be no LiveSoil.\u201d<\/p>\n

Around 2015, as Jamaica\u2019s droughts stretched from three months to five or six, Curtis and his team began experimenting with composting a specific plant material native to Jamaica. A material not commonly used in agriculture. What they found surprised them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were getting this kind of sponge-like healing from it,\u201d Curtis said. \u201cWe literally were not watering at all and getting better growth quality.\u201d<\/p>\n

The secret, he says, is in the composting material itself, proprietary and patent-pending, which holds water at the root level rather than breaking down completely like traditional compost.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe secret is in the composting materials simply because they\u2019re not normally used in agriculture,\u201d Curtis said. \u201cThis particular thing was allowing it to live within the soil environment and continue to do that work of holding water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Live Soil is mixed into native soil at the local level, making it adaptable to different regions. Curtis says the product has been used in Jamaica for seven years without needing to be reapplied. In a side-by-side grass trial, the sod planted in LiveSoil was watered once over a two-month period. The comparison plot was watered 16 to 17 times.<\/p>\n

The Golf Industry Show attracted exhibitors and superintendents from across the country, and environmental innovation was a recurring theme on the convention floor.<\/p>\n

Joshua Tapp, Director of Environmental Programs at GCSAA, said the three pillars of his organization\u2019s environmental work are water, nutrients and pesticides – all of which translate directly to a golf course\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes those two overlap – cost savings and environmental protection – and that\u2019s where we\u2019re able to help many of our folks,\u201d Tapp said.<\/p>\n

He pointed to emerging technologies on the convention floor, including AI-driven robots guided by satellites that can pinpoint dry spots and apply pesticides or nutrients to specific areas – reducing waste and environmental impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow you can use remote sensing and other types of technologies to understand when those dry spots are and target your treatment,\u201d Tapp said.<\/p>\n

Tapp also cited UF\u2019s Unruh as one of the leaders driving environmental progress in Florida\u2019s golf industry.<\/p>\n

Back at Interlachen, Gibson\u2019s commitment to the environment goes well beyond the BMP manual. The club holds Audubon certification, which requires case studies every four years covering wildlife, fertilizer reduction and water efficiency.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal each day is obviously to prepare the playing surface, but also on the edges of the property, we want to create areas where nature can be part of the golf course,\u201d Gibson said. \u201cFrom wildflowers for pollinators, to birdhouses for local birds and to bring in the Purple Martins, the wood ducks and all kinds of other species.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interlachen holds biannual bird walks for members and guests – drawing more than 70 participants at one point during the pandemic. They offer a summer camp \u201cbio blitz\u201d to engage young people with on-course wildlife. The club\u2019s butterfly garden supports pollinators, and watering holes are maintained along the property\u2019s perimeter to keep wildlife engaged without disrupting play.<\/p>\n

Gibson said the philosophy behind it all is practical as well as principled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that by just throwing something at it, it\u2019s not gonna be beneficial to the golf course, because in the long run the soils are gonna get toxic and they\u2019re not gonna be able to perform anyway,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we try to be as conducive to the environment as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Gibson and Unruh pushed back on the perception that golf courses are environmental offenders.<\/p>\n

Gibson noted that some products are applied at just two ounces per acre – meaning less than a gallon covers Interlachen\u2019s entire maintained turf area. The club is also 97% reliant on reclaimed water.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a waste of time and money if you throw it in the water,\u201d Gibson said of fertilizer near waterways. \u201cSo the fact that some people believe that we\u2019re just throwing fertilizer, that\u2019s not the case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unruh agreed that the stereotype doesn\u2019t hold up to scrutiny.<\/p>\n

\u201cInterestingly, too much water and too much fertilizer are actually very counter to the game of golf,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to keep that golf course lean and mean and dry. It makes for a better environment from which to play the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also noted that golf courses provide roughly 150 acres of green space in the middle of otherwise developed areas, absorbing stormwater, recharging aquifers, supporting wildlife and potentially buffering communities from the urban heat island effect.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving green spaces – golf courses, athletic fields, even urban landscape – brings tremendous ecosystem services to our environment,\u201d Unruh said.<\/p>\n

UF\u2019s turfgrass research program dates to 1922, when research plots were established on the university\u2019s main campus with funding from the United States Golf Association. In 2022, the program crossed its centennial.<\/p>\n

Through a six-university federal research partnership, including UF, the University of Georgia, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, North Carolina State and the University of California, dozens of new turfgrass varieties have been developed focused on reducing water and fertilizer inputs, and improving shade and drought tolerance.<\/p>\n

Interlachen currently uses TifTuff bermudagrass, one of the varieties developed through that multistate partnership.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the largest turfgrass in the golf industry,\u201d Gibson said.<\/p>\n

The research plots at UF\u2019s Plant Science Research and Education Unit compare these new varieties – side by side, compost-amended versus non-amended – to determine which grasses perform best with less water. Results are already showing promise, with greener, more resilient growth in the compost-amended plots.<\/p>\n

Curtis, whose Live Soil product is rooted in the same principles, put it simply:<\/p>\n

\u201cSoil is the operating system of the world. You think about a computer, soil is everything, and then everything else is after soil.\u201d<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Before the first golfer tees off each morning at Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park, superintendent Bryce Gibson…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":896375,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,75,2755,755,84,74952,128,85,1996],"class_list":["post-896374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-environment","tag-florida","tag-golf","tag-politics","tag-ron-desantis","tag-science","tag-sports","tag-tech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/896374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=896374"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/896374\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/896375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=896374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=896374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=896374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}