ecoshare

As a golfer I love being on the course.  The vast expanse of well manicured green, fresh air, and overwhelming quiet, are things I rarely get to experience living in an urban environment.  It is one thing that I enjoy waking up before 7 am for.  It is my chance to get away from the cell phone, the email, and all the other daily stress that comes along with being an adult.  Golf is 4 hours of my life that I focus on something that gives me complete pleasure, no matter how well or poor I play.  The feeling of nothingness as the perfect shot is struck and lands exactly where my minds eye envisioned, is like no other that I experience.  Golf is a passion.  Unfortunately that passion comes at a price, and not just one related to the size of my bank account.  The price is paid by the earth.

Golf, started in an open field with rocks and sticks, a game played by farmers and herders in their spare time, has now grown into a multinational, multibillion dollar sports industry.  We have stars, and legends, we have icons and monuments.  All of these things based around hitting a small round ball into a slightly larger hole approximately a quarter mile away.  If you golf, you understand just how important it is to be in the fairway, and how much different a shot can be if in the rough by just a few feet.  You also appreciate a perfectly manicured green with nice even speed all over, and how an unrepaired ball mark or stray pine needle can alter a putt significantly.  Golf is a game that when played well, on the right course can be put on par (pun intended) with a religious experience.

Urban and suburban sprawl are chewing up land at an unprecedented rate in the US and around the world.  Farms and countryside are being cleared for McMansions and strip malls.  Golf courses however, provide an inherently natural setting for vegetation and wildlife.  They are uniquely positioned to allow humans and animals to coexist in the same setting while providing a safe environment to do so.  On average a golf course ranges anywhere from 110-160 acres in total, including driving range, practice greens, and clubhouse facilities.  The majority of the course acreage is in the rough areas (appx 66%), composed of tall grass, trees, shrubs, and water hazards, all of which are habitats for wildlife.  Birds and small game all find sanctuary in the outlying areas of golf courses, utilizing the thick brush, trees, and marshland as their home.  On more than one occasion however, I have seen wildlife right in the middle of the fairway, as has been the case when trying to shoo away a flock of geese from an approach shot near a water hazard.

Stop for a moment, and think about the work that goes into maintaining a golf course.  The hours of mowing, the gallons of water, the buckets of fertilizer, the bags of mulch, all go into making what basically is a very large field, into a course worthy of the name, Jones, Dye, Palmer, or Nicklaus.  These courses are monumental undertakings that require staffs of people, hundreds of hours per week to keep in pristine condition.  But what sort of impact does that work cause on the planet?

The most obvious resource used by golf courses is water. In the US, there are more than 1.7 million acres of golf courses that use nearly 4 billion gallons of water daily.  There are estimates that put gallons per round, per golfer at anywhere from 2,200 to 5,400.  That means that every time you or I go to the course to play a round, a minimum of 2,200 gallons of water is required to support that round.  2,200 Gallons!  That is equivalent to a 4’ deep 12’ round swimming pool, every round.

Pesticides and fertilizers are also a major issue for golf courses, not only in terms of environmental impact but also from a budget standpoint.  Golf courses can spend upward of $100,000 in fertilizers and pesticides per year.  These chemicals then get washed into the surrounding waterways, increasing algae growth and killing fish and other animals living in and around local waterways.  The Attorney General of New York State suggests that golf courses use 2.7 times more pesticides per acre per year than average farmlands do.

An effective golf course environmental management program can result in reduced insurance premiums, as well as reduced costs for energy, water, pesticides, or fertilizers.  As we stated earlier, water use by golf courses is monumental, so is stands to reason that implementing a water savings plan would be a pretty good place to start.  Using gray water and rain water collection strategies can cut the demand for city water by up to 50%.  Duke University Golf Club at Washington Duke Inn has used these strategies which allow them to irrigate their entire course with only the water from the retention ponds on the course.  The type of grass can also drastically reduce the need for irrigation.  Perennial rye grass requires substantially less water than traditional Bermuda turfgrass.

Have you ever seen pine trees in Arizona?  Bringing in non-native vegetation can have detrimental effects on an ecosystem, whereas native vegetation adds a unique quality to a golf course, and prevents the introduction of new species of plants that may alter the balance of the ecosystem in a certain area.  Likewise using natural vegetation in rough areas and allowing natural hazards to emerge can foster native wildlife habitats.  Out of bounds areas can be set up as sanctuaries for species of plants and animals that may otherwise be displaced by the development of the golf course.

Vegetation and water use are not the only areas where golf course managers can decrease the overall impact of a golf course.  Electric vehicles may not be the majority on the roads these days, but on the golf course they should be the only choice.  Today’s electric golf carts have the power to traverse hilly terrain, and unlike in the past, now have been outfitted with speed limiters for downhill travel.  In predominantly sunny locales the energy requirement can easily be fulfilled with solar power.  Electric vehicles are cheaper to maintain and cheaper to run, this should be a no brainer.

Lastly, a concerted effort to promote recycling and waste reduction should be at the top of every course’s “To Do” list.  Most beverages provided by golf courses are either in cans or plastic bottles, all of which can be easily recycled.  At almost every course there is a trash can at each tee box, the addition of a recycling can would be an easy way for golfers to passively participate in the greening of the course.

As golfers we are positioned to drive change in the industry.  By only patronizing courses that participate in eco-conscious practices we can send a message that courses need to adopt a policy of environmental stewardship.  Talk to the head Pro, or the Greens-keeper and let them know that you appreciate these efforts.  Positive reinforcement can go a long way toward ensuring that course managers continue to maintain their courses in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Every golfer has to take some responsibility for the effort.  If you are offered recycling, use it.  Trash on the golf course should be picked up…even if it isn’t yours.  I was playing a few weeks ago with a friend, and we were paired up with another twosome, two older gentlemen.  They were quite nice, and very good golfers, but one of them was an absolute slob.  I must have picked up 2 packs worth of gum wrappers, and at least 15 cigarette butts throughout the round that he had discarded, in some cases not 10 feet from a trash can.  Remember the golf course is a beautiful place that is home to many thousands of plants and animals that don’t need your trash lying around.

Another alternative to playing on the course every week is to play virtual golf.  There are numerous facilities that provide virtual golf experiences.  These can be played year-round, and allow you to play courses all over the world.  My good Friend Lynni Megginson is installing a High Definition Golf Simulator in the CharityWorks Green House in Washington DC, that allows you to play Pebble Beach, Pinehurst #2, and Doral, to name a few.  Not only can you play courses that you may never have a chance to play live, most places have a dedicated server for food and drinks…no more waiting on the cart girl to come by every 6-8 holes.

I encourage all golfers, young and old, scratch and 25+ handicappers to search out, and patronize those courses that practice sustainability.  The future of the game and the future of the Earth will benefit from these efforts.