Turfgrass Research - For Better Golf and a Better Environment

Since 1920 the USGA Green Section has conducted and supported turfgrass research to provide better playing conditions for golfers. Major accomplishments have included the development of dramatically improved grasses, cultural maintenance practices, and weed, insect and disease control methods, to name just a few. 

It may seem that after 87 years of research, all the problems would have been solved. Not so! Golfer demands for better and better course conditions are causing more problems than ever before. Greens cut at a tenth of an inch, stimpmeter readings routinely surpassing 10 or 11 feet, cart traffic, fairways cut to 3/8 of an inch, and trees planted 50-80 years ago that now shade our greens, tees, roughs and fairways, all combine to cause stressed turf that is susceptible to disease and pest activity, cold, heat, drought, salt, traffic and other stresses. There are nearly 40 major disease organisms that ravage our turf, requiring tens of millions of dollars for pesticides to contain them.

Today, the USGA leads the way in turfgrass research, allocating $1.3 million annually to address the needs of the turf and the environment. This contribution is doubled or tripled at the 30-plus universities that receive USGA research grants. But considering that golf is an industry that generates tens of billions of dollars annually, more dollars need to be contributed to keep ahead of the problems found on our golf courses.

http://www.usga.org/aboutus/annual_report/2007/green_section.html