Consultant helps clients create sustainable standards

After spending the last few years in wetland consulting, golf course consultant Tom Mead will begin work involving the sustainability aspects of the golf industry throughout the country.

Mead, of Traverse City, Mich., has more than 35 years of experience in golf course development, construction, agronomy and operations. His consulting firm, Resort and Golf Marketing of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., will help clients focus on improving the long-term financial viability of their golf operations by developing realistic, sustainable values, practices and standards. Initial focus with clients will be about implementing a sustainable design and maintenance modifications that will enhance playability and reduce costs without interrupting play or requiring capital expenditures.

"The fundamentals of sustainable golf are simple," Mead says. "The spirit of the game, the financial aspects of the golf business and the environmental practices necessary for a sustainable golf course are all compatible. We have to shift our values, then reflect them in a new business model that emphasizes the true spirit of the game and environmentally sound standards and practices."