The First Green of Washington is a program that connects schools and golf courses, where students use the course as an outdoor learning lab. The program was started in 1998 by Glendale's own Bill Meyer (President of the Washington Junior Golf Association, Jeff Gullickson (then golf course superintendent at Overlake Country Club, and since 2000, superintendent at Spokane Country Club), and several others with backgrounds in education. Their vision was to team up golf course superintendents with teachers, and use the golf course to teach environmental education. The program has had success since its creation, and is growing in small increments each year. The program is funded primarily by the Washington State Golf Association, and has received grants from the USGA, Northwest Turfgrass Association (NTA), and the Western Washington Golf Course Superintendents Association (WWGCSA). Several private clubs in the Seattle area also fund First Green, led by Glendale CC, and Broadmoor GC. I have been involved with First Green since 2000, and have hosted well over 100 field trips at Glendale with close to 2500 kids from local schools. I have developed some close ties with local teachers at both the high school and grade school levels, who visit Glendale each year. This year we will host 10 to 15 field trips at Glendale with students in Bellevue from Sacred Heart and St. Louise grade schools; and high school students from Interlake, Sammamish, and the International School. In past years we have had field trips with Bellevue Christian, St. Madeline Sophie, Odle Middle School, Emerald Heights Academy, Newport High School, and Bellevue High School.

The are so many things to do when students visit a golf course. We do water quality testing in Kelsey Creek which runs through our course, and talk about protecting water quality in our local neighborhoods, take physical measurements in the stream to determine water velocity in cubic feet per second and gallons per hour. We look at the different types of soils on the course and their physical properties, how water runs through the soil, soil fertility and plant growth, and soil nutrient testing. Wildlife habitat on the golf course and all the different animal species that call Glendale home. Plant and tree identification, native plants growing along the streams, sunlight/shade and how it affects plant growth. Fertilizer and pesticide use issues are hot topics today that kids and teachers are very interested in.  Proper water use on our home landscapes and how to measure the amounts of water plants need during summer months is very useful. Calculations including finding the area of irregular shaped areas, and determining the quantity of water in a pond or small lake is a real life use for math. And there are so many more possible topics that mirror what is being taught in the classroom.

We have also done some interesting projects with some of the classes. The photo above shows kids planting a section along Kelsey Creek where Knotweed (a non-native invasive weed) had taken over the area. The kids (with help from our crew) removed the Knotweed, chose native plants for the site, and planted them. The City of Bellevue Stream Team provided funding for the project, and our Glendale staff agreed to maintain them for several years until they were mature. That was two years ago, and the plants are doing well and keeping the Knotweed out.

Two winters ago it got very cold, and we saw the temperature drop to 14 degrees for several days. That may not sound extreme, but it was 10 to 15 degrees below our coldest part of a normal winter here in the Seattle area. We lost a lot of plants around the course, and in particular the landscaped beds around the clubhouse. Lynn McKay teaches horticulture at Interlake High School, and I asked her if she could help us design the affected areas. We decided that her Advanced Horticulture class could take on the project. The kids came up with a design for the beds, located the plants, and planted them. It was a great learning experience for their class, and a big help to us at Glendale. 

I can't say enough good things about the program, both for the schools and golf courses. It's a good way for us in golf to share what we have with our local communities. It's also a good way for golf to invest in it's future. We can spread the message that golf courses are good for the community, and good for the environment. We can help educate this generation on the positive aspects of golf. Even if the kids who visit our courses never play the game, they will be able to recall the positive learning experience they had at the course. As they get older and live in our communities, they will become the voters and decision makers of the future.

If you have any interest in the program, you can visit the First Green website at: http://thefirstgreen.org or contact Steve Kealy, golf course superintendent at Glendale Country Club, at stevekealy@gmail.com