how do golf courses affect the environment

by Britney O'Reilly I Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

But golf courses also have great opportunities to make a positive impact. They can provide wildlife sanctuaries, preserve natural areas in urban environments, support native plants and wildlife, protect water resources, rehabilitate degraded landscapes and promote environmentally-positive management to the public.

Why are golf courses bad for the environment?

Environmentalists argue that golf course land is not only a waste of space, but also harbors harmful impacts to the earth and environment, such as pesticide use. This negative impact occurs by using large quantities of water and destroying habitats for wildlife species.Apr 10, 2019

Are golf courses eco friendly?

Further, “Golf courses provide green breathing spaces in a concrete landscape and the well-managed turf has many valuable service values — soil protection, water filtering, pollution fixation and biodiversity conservation.Jan 15, 2019

Do golf courses cause pollution?

The average golf course uses 312 gallons of water per day for maintenance of the grounds. As this water flows through the property, it can pick up contaminants such as petroleum, pesticides, and fertilizers.Jan 30, 2019

How is golf good for the environment?

Golf courses offer numerous opportunities to not only provide pleasant places to play, but also to protect drinking water, improve the water quality of on-site and surrounding lakes, streams, and rivers, support a variety of plants and wildlife, and protect the environment for future generations.

Are golf courses a waste of land?

Golf courses account for more than 5.1 million acres of land worldwide. That land that could be used as wooded areas, farmland, animal habits, wetlands and countless other activities that are far more useful to society than golf. Golf courses use 13 trillion gallons of water every year.Mar 7, 2019

Are golf courses wasteful?

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. golf courses consume more than 2 billion gallons of water per day, and since one in every 17 of U.S. courses is located in arid and semi-arid California, our 921 courses consume a sizable chunk of that total daily.Jun 18, 2021

Do golf courses pollute groundwater?

People living near a golf course may be affected by sprays and dusts blown from the golf course onto their property and into their homes. Finally, pesticides applied to the turf may run off into surface waters or leach down to groundwater, which can then expose people to contaminated drinking water.

Are golf courses good for animals?

Golf courses are irresistible magnets for wildlife, specifically raccoons, snakes, skunks, opossum, armadillos, foxes and coyotes - not to mention alligators! These finely manicured, highly fertilized and well watered rural looking paradises are just that to wildlife.

What kind of chemicals are used on golf courses?

Pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides are all used to maintain the idyllic, cosmetic appeal of lush greens on golf courses. In these areas, natural grass variants are rarely the most visually appealing, and often these chemicals are applied preventively rather than in response to a specific concern.May 14, 2018

What sport is worse for the environment?

The worst sports for the environment include skydiving (massive relative carbon footprint), golf (water consumption and chemicals needed), auto-racing and other motor-vehicle sports (absolute carbon emissions), and motorized water-sports (fuel consumption and biosphere interruption).

Are golf courses worth it?

It's Expensive

Joining a golf club is usually not cheap, and the to make it financially worth your while you will have to play quite often. If you don't get on the course, you are still paying a lot for the privilege of being a member without getting any real benefits.

How much energy does a golf course use?

One Swedish study found that the energy required for one golf course totalled 16.5 GJ per hectare per year, about the same as running five average American cars. The carbon footprint is about 29 tonnes of carbon per year on average, which equates to almost 10 times the average person’s carbon usage.

How does land use affect the environment?

All land use has an environmental impact. Managing a golf course means a lot of mowing, watering and fertilising, which requires energy and causes greenhouse gas emissions. One Swedish study found that the energy required for one golf course totalled 16.5 GJ per hectare per year, about the same as running five average American cars. The carbon footprint is about 29 tonnes of carbon per year on average, which equates to almost 10 times the average person’s carbon usage.

What is golf green?

Golfing greens are monocultures (meaning only one type of plant is there - grass) which by definition means there is very little biodiversity. In many cases, golf courses have cleared areas of natural forest to create their courses.

What is the message of golf?

The main message is that there are many opportunities to make a positive impact on the environment and golf is one such opportunity. We all need to work together on climate impacts and biodiversity loss and lots of small actions add up.

Is golf good for cardiovascular health?

Despite being described by many as a good walk spoiled, golf has long been recognised as beneficial to cardiovascular health. It is good to get out into the great outdoors and get your body moving, with the only minor risks being a fall or being hit in the head with a stray ball (statistically quite a low risk ).

Is golf bad for the planet?

4 reasons why golf is bad for the planet. Opinion: golf may be good for your health, but it's a different story with its environmental impact. Despite being described by many as a good walk spoiled, golf has long been recognised as beneficial to cardiovascular health. It is good to get out into the great outdoors and get your body moving, ...

Does Nike golf ball decompose?

While Nike has patented a carbon-sucking golf ball, they have not exactly tee-ed off. Golf balls do decompose slowly in nature, but this can release heavy metals into the environment. Dangerous levels of zinc have been shown to attach to sediment and soil and ends up poisoning flora and fauna.

What are the impacts of golf courses in Spain?

In recent years golf tourism in Spain has increased in popularity and the number of golf courses has grown rapidly. These are resort destinations, and the golf courses are normally associated with substantial real estate development, hotels and related facilities.

Why is golf water scarce?

Golf courses require an enormous amount of water every day and, as with other causes of excessive extraction of water, this can result in water scarcity. If the water comes from wells, over-extraction can cause saline intrusion into groundwater.

Why are biocides used in golf?

Biocides use to maintain the greenness of the 'greens', control insects, fungicides and weeds, contaminate both the air and water. Attracts the higher-spending social groups. Golf clubs often portray an elitist and exclusive lifestyle.

Can golf resorts cause saline intrusion?

If the water comes from wells, over-extraction can cause saline intrusion into groundwater. Golf resorts are more and more often situated in or near protected areas or areas where resources are limited, exacerbating their impacts.

Limit excessive water consumption

Water is a vulnerable vital resource although essential for golf course groundkeeping. Good quality grass must be watered regularly. Golf courses consume a lot of water - a resource which is running out and which we must save. As the excessive use of water creates problems, we need to imagine new solutions. These include:

Say no to pesticides but yes to sheep (and other animals)!

As all groundkeepers know, golf course maintenance is a complex task. Course quality must be irreproachable all year long to enable good rounds. This is why 100% of golf courses use plant health products to treat the greens (4)… But there are fewer and fewer approved products.

Think about what happens to all the lost golf balls

14 golf balls are lost every second on courses in Europe and the United States (5). That’s about 450 million balls a year. Huge! And the bad news is that golf balls are not biodegradable. Once they are lost, they become an unseen enemy of the environment… But be aware. Solutions exist!

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