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In 2012 the Florida Golf Course Superintendents Association and its eleven local chapters covering peninsular Florida raised and donated $163,566.00 dollars for turf research and local charitable organizations.
One prime example is the South Florida GCSA’s annual Missing & Exploited Children Tournament, which raised $25,000 to the national foundation that cares for abused children. Over the 25-year history of this tournament superintendents have raised over $350,000 for this worthwhile cause. Each of the eleven chapters donates to a variety of local charities annually.
According to the last Florida Golf Economic Study, the Florida Golf industry is a $7.5 billion dollar industry in Florida, employing over 167,000 people. And the total of Golf’s charitable impact was over $312 million dollars. Besides the economic impact, golf courses have become prolific green spaces for Florida’s wildlife.
Turf research funding includes studies into more sustainable grass varieties, more efficient use of chemicals and fertilizers to maintain good playing conditions while minimizing environmental impacts, more efficient water use and conservation methods, and ways to improve wildlife habit.