Pesticide Facts
" Chemicals we use to treat plant diseases are called pesticides.
Chemicals we use to treat  human diseases are called medicine" .
J.M. Vargas, PhD
Why do golf courses use pesticides?

Pesticides help limit the damage that can be caused by insects, weeds and plant diseases. Insecticides, herbicides and fungicides are used very selectively to protect the health of turf, trees and other living things on the course. Fertilizers provide much-needed nutrition for the course's plant life.

It is very important to note that pesticides and fertilizers are not used primarily for aesthetic reasons. First and foremost, they are tools that help ensure a healthy playing surface for the game. Furthermore, they help protect a valuable and ecologically important piece of land.

Golf courses are tremendous economic assets, as well as vital green spaces for communities. They employ hundreds of thousands of people, enhance local economies through tax revenues and tourism, and provide many ecological benefits. For example, golf courses help filter air pollutants and create fresh oxygen; they are excellent groundwater recharge sites; and most important, they are critical wildlife sanctuaries in urban and suburban areas.

What kinds of products are used?
Most people are surprised to find out that the majority of the pesticide products used by superintendents are identical or closely related to those used by homeowners.

Are golfers at risk?
No. There is no scientific evidence that golfers face any chronic health risks from the pesticides used to maintain courses. Once a liquid product is applied and the turfgrass is dry or the product has been watered in, there is very little chance of exposure to golfers or others who enter the area. It is worth noting that a small percentage of people may be allergic to a particular product, just as some people are allergic to household cleaners, soaps or perfumes. Golfers with possible chemical allergies are always encouraged to contact superintendents to find out what products might be in use.
Posting
All Pesticide applications made at Baker Hill are posted on the 1st and 10th tees in accordance to NH statutes to inform those who may be sensitive to chemicals.
For more information on golf course pesticide use please click here.


At Baker Hill we use a Bio-Ject unit which brews bacteria that is antagonistic to specific turf diseases and injects them into the irrigation system which delivers them to nearly every turf plant on the course. This tool enables us to spray pesticides less often.
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