The declining population of pollinators in the U.S., especially honeybees, has received a lot of buzz in the last couple of years, most recently from the president himself. In May, the White House issued the National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators, on behalf of the Pollinator Health Task Force. The strategy lays out current and planned federal actions to achieve three overarching goals, one of which is the restoration or enhancement of seven million acres of land for pollinators.

Operation Pollinator contributes acres to that number, by providing golf course managers with expertise and resources to establish a suitable habitat for pollinating insects. The landscapes of golf courses make them an ideal site to preserve and enhance the essential habitat of pollinators. Syngenta has conducted years of research on establishing pollinator habitats and the benefits they provide, which include:

• Playing a key role in reviving native bees and other pollinating insects
• Introducing native wildflowers to your course for pollinators
• Attracting organizations and players interested in sustainable efforts on golf courses
• Generating pride for your course and the community
• Enhancing the visual appearance of the course and overall golfing experience when full establishment is achieved
• Creating positive publicity for the club and surrounding community

As part of the program, managers are given agronomic information to successfully establish and manage an attractive wildflower habitat for pollinators. In addition, they are given communication tools to help explain to their customers and community how Operation Pollinator supports pollinating insects while also enhancing the visual appearance of the course and overall playing experience.

A Step Further

One superintendent in Newcastle, Washington, has experienced even more benefits from his Operation Pollinator habitat. For Scott Phelps, head superintendent at The Golf Club at Newcastle, the decision to plant a pollinator habitat was an easy one.

“I wanted to do the right thing for the environment,” says Phelps. “I think it’s important for people to know that golf courses are being responsible, and that we are actually encouraging habitats for bees and other wildlife on the course, as well as being environmentally sensitive in other areas. We also take part in the First Green program, which allows students to use the golf course as an environmental laboratory. We work with a private school that comes to study the course and I thought that working with bees, or watching us work with the bees, would be fun for them.”

Nearly five acres of wildflowers were planted just 100 yards off a tee box: “The situation was ideal,” said Phelps. “There were some trees we were going to remove because they had begun to obstruct the view of the city, and the leftover space was ideal for growing wildflowers.

Operation Pollinator habitat at The Golf Club at Newcastle

In addition to the Operation Pollinator site, Phelps envisioned another unique opportunity to add value to his course. Since planting the wildflowers, Phelps has installed two bee hives from which he collects honey that will be served in the restaurant at Newcastle. “We decided there are multiple opportunities to use the honey in the clubhouse,” says Phelps. “Our Executive Chef wants to use the fresh honey in his dishes, and has even expressed interest in eventually serving honeycomb.”

Guests at the club often see Phelps in the flower patch, tending to the bees while wearing his beekeeping suit, and curiously inquire with the staff to learn more. “It generates a lot of interest from the golfers,” said Phelps. “And I have had a lot of fun doing it.”

As passionate as he is, Phelps did not go so far as to say that every golf course superintendent should take up beekeeping. But he does believe that planting pollinator habitats is an easy and effective way that courses can practice environmental stewardship. “It’s so easy to do,” said Phelps. “Everybody should be doing it.”

For more information on Operation Pollinator, visit GreenCastOnline.com/OperationPollinator. To learn more about how your golf course can host an Operation Pollinator habitat, please contact your local Syngenta territory manager.

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