Golf Courses
Big Picture
Golf courses are a unique combination of wide open natural terrain that has been molded and shaped by people to create a sports venue unlike any other. They are highly modified yet ‘undeveloped’ in the traditional sense of the word. This sets golf courses up for the potential to be a positive force for environmental stewardship, or resource-intensive operations that can create harmful conditions for both people and wildlife. Due to their scope and size, golf courses provide lots of open space and potential natural habitat. They also require LOTS of water, lots of fertilizers, lots of pesticides and other resources in order to maintain ideal golfing conditions. By paying attention to what your local course is doing to be green, you can help drive them in the right direction.
Factoids n' Stuff
- There are over 16,000 golf courses in the United States, half of the world’s total.
- The average U.S. golf course uses over 300,000 gallons of water PER DAY.
- Some desert area courses user over 1 million gallons per day. That’s the same amount of water the average American family consumes in FOUR YEARS.
What Goes In?
Water: In order to create that idyllic scene of vibrant fairways and breathtaking greens, golf courses require water, and lots of it! Just how much water depends on where a course is located. Deserts courses in the southwest US consume a ton of water, and do so in areas where water resources are scarce. Golf courses can utilize measures that reduce water consumption, like cultivating native plants and reducing water use on the areas around the fairways and greens.
Fertilizers and pesticides: The bad news is most courses rely on synthetic fertilizers and dangerous pesticides. The good news is natural and organic versions exist.
The club house: The restaurant can be treated just like any other restaurant, see our restaurant guide.
What Comes Out?
Fun comes out for some, frustration for most. From the green angle you’ve got water runoff, grass clippings and other grounds maintenance waste products, as well as anything related to their facilities. Grass clippings and organic material can be composted and reused as mulch on the course. Water runoff is extremely important due to the high water consumption rates for golf courses. All that water goes back into the lakes, creeks and rivers around the course, meaning any water pollution generated at the course has a much wider impact.
How's it Run?
Is there any literature indicating steps the golf course is taking to green their operations? If not ask someone from the grounds crew what they know. If they draw a blank look, that tells you something….that even if they are engaged in going green, the message isn’t reaching the people who have to implement that plan. One of the best programs currently available to help golf courses go green is the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, a certification program that allows courses to do a self-evaluation and then follow guidelines to make improvements. The program costs $400 and provides evaluation assistance. You can find a list of participating golf courses (pdf) from Audubon International.
What They Care About
Knowing how it’s run will help you determine what they care about. If there’s no recycling on the premises, clearly even the basics of going green are not a priority. On the other hand, if there’s a flyer on the bulletin board that lays out their philosophy and the steps they are taking, that’s a pretty good indicator that they care. Still, it’s important to follow up on any claims they make. Asking questions of the staff is probably the most effective way to determine green intent.
What to Ask
- What are you doing to reduce the amount of water this course requires?
- What are you doing to ensure water quality of the water runoff from your course?
- Are you using natural/organic fertilizers?
- What do you do to reduce your dependence on pesticides?
- Do you have a program in place to promote habitat and wildlife management at your course?
- Do you use drought tolerant grasses?
- Do you use hardy grass species for areas around the fairways and greens?
- What do you do to educate/inform your members/employees about the environmental issues involved with golfing?
What to Do
Even if your favorite golf course isn't the greenest, there are a few things you can do to reduce your personal impact:
- Skip the cart and walk
- Use biodegradable tees and recycled golf balls
- Look for used clubs and other equipment
- Head to courses closer to home
