Golf course maintenance can deplete these scarce fresh water resources. 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.
Full Answer
What are the impacts of golf on the environment?
Impact of Golf Courses Golf courses have a long association with coastal areas. In drier regions like the Mediterranean, the issue of water scarcity is of particular concern. Golf course maintenance can deplete these scarce fresh water resources.
Why do golf courses use so much water?
Because of the hot climate and the tendency of tourists to consume more water when on holiday than they do at home, the amount used can run up to 440 litres a day. This is almost double what the inhabitants of an average Spanish city use. Golf course maintenance can deplete these scarce fresh water resources.
Why do golf courses use effluent?
Because of water scarcity, in recent years more golf courses have started to use effluent, which is treated wastewater from community or industry sewage. It is cleansed of major pollutants, but still contains enough trace amounts of salt, heavy metals such as zinc and cadmium and bacteria to render it undrinkable.
How does golf course maintenance deplete water resources?
Golf course maintenance can deplete these scarce fresh water resources. 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.
How do golf courses affect water supply?
FINDING: Golf courses do not pose a significant pollu- tion threat to the nation's water supplies. This conclusion is based on a review of the scientific evidence that is cur- rently available. Neither groundwater nor surface water is threatened by golf course runoff.
How does golf affect the environment?
Courses dump often unregulated fertilisers and pesticides on their greenways to keep the grass looking unnaturally green. The fertilisers run off into bodies of water, causing a state of nutrient over-enrichment called eutrophication which results in algal blooms that destroy ecosystems.
How might a golf course affect the water quality in a watershed?
High-quality turf on golf courses is maintained with fertilizer, irrigation and pesticide inputs. As a result, they are perceived as significant contributors to water pollution.
Is golf a waste of water?
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.
Do golf courses use a lot of water?
Golf courses use a great deal of water for irrigation and other purposes. A typical 150-acre golf course uses approximately 200 million gallons of water a year, enough to supply 1,800 residences with 300 GPD of water.
Is golf 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.
What water pollutants could originate from a golf course Farm subdivision Forest & Restaurant?
The pollutants that could originate from a golf course, subdivision and farmland are organic matter such as grass clippings, fertilizer runoff containing nitrogen and phosphorus, and animal waste.
What water pollutants could originate from a farm?
Farming-contaminated drinking water poses serious health risks. Two of the most prominent farming contaminants in water are nitrates and total coliform bacteria. Nitrate-related contamination comes from fertilizer for crops and manure.
How much water does golf use and where does it come from?
Golf, he said, consumes less than 1% of all water used in California, but nearly 25% of Coachella Valley water.
How much water do all the golf courses use?
In California, an average 18-hole golf course sprawls over 110 to 115 acres and conservatively uses almost 90 million gallons of water per year, enough to fill 136 Olympic-size swimming pools, said Mike Huck, a water management consultant who works with golf courses statewide.
Why do golf courses need so much water?
Water use has a major influence on the playability of a golf course. Judicious water use that emphasizes firm, fast conditions is more enjoyable for all skill levels of golfers and is a goal that the USGA strongly supports.
How do golf courses benefit wildlife?
Golf Courses Benefit People And Wildlife. Although many Americans enjoy working in their yards and maintaining an attractive landscape, they may not realize the tangible benefits of their efforts. These same benefits are available on the golf course where the combination of mowed turf, trees and natural areas provides a diverse environment ...
How much does golf affect the economy?
It now appeals to a broader range of people than ever before. United States golf course facilities impact the economy at an estimated $18 billion each year. Today, more than 24.5 million men, women and youth spend 2.4 billion hours outside, playing one of the 14,500-plus golf courses.
Why is it important to have a dense lawn?
Dense, well-maintained turf helps reduce the weeds and pollen that aggravate allergy sufferers . When turf is mowed regularly, it seldom produces flowers that release pollen. Closely mowed turf also discourages pests like mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers. Controlling ticks helps reduce the threat of Lyme Disease.
How does turf help the soil?
Turf has a very dense root system that holds the soil and rainwater, reducing erosion. As turf grows, it adds organic matter to the soil. This allows it to absorb even more water and hold it. Many communities have found that a golf course is an excellent way to restore damaged areas.
What are the benefits of a golf course?
Makes substantial contributions to the community's economy. 1) Golf Course Roughs And Trees Create Good Wildlife Habitat. More than 70 percent of most golf courses are rough and non-play areas including natural grasses, trees and shrubs. Combined with the open areas of fairways and greens, the golf course is an attractive wildlife habitat.
How do earthworms help the water?
The tiny tunnels the earthworms provide create even more places for the water to go. As water soaks into the grass and the soil below, it is filtered and cleansed. This process is so effective that many golf courses have become water recycling sites for their communities, using treated wastewater for irrigation.
How does turf grow?
The turf growth process takes carbon dioxide from the air and releases the oxygen we need. A landscape of turf, trees, and shrubs about 2,000 square feet in size generates enough oxygen for one person for one year. Some studies have shown that certain types of turf can even absorb carbon monoxide.
How much money did golf raise in 2011?
Despite an economic downturn in 2008, charities across the country continued to benefit from golf. In 2011, $3.9 billion was raised for charities, according to a study released by the National Golf Foundation. A vibrant and healthy community is important for establishing a vibrant and healthy environment.
How many acres of green space does Arizona have?
“Golf courses account for more than two million acres of green space across the U.S.,” says Steve Mona, the CEO of the World Golf Foundation, administrator of GOLF 20/20. “Arizona’s golf economy is a large contributor to the game’s environmental benefits with nearly 350 golf facilities, 75 percent of them available to the public.”
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.
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 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.
How much water does a golf course use?
The amount of water golf courses use varies greatly depending on the region, but on average they use about 10 800 000 litres of water per year (according to the Golf Course Superintendents Association, US golf courses use, on average, 414 500 000 litres a year). In essence each golf course uses enough water to provide at least 1200 people ...
How do golf estates affect invasive species?
Golf estates may facilitate the spread of invasive alien plants through increased disturbance and nutrient levels. Furthermore, gardens are recognised as an important source of invasive species. The introduction of kikuyu grass, for example, may have devastating effects on surrounding natural habitats.
What are the weaknesses of golf course estates?
Golf course estates are frequently elitist enclaves, isolated from surrounding communities. They have thrived on people’s fear and insecurities in the face of increasing levels of crime and violence.
Do golf estates need environmental assessments?
environmental assessment be required for any major golf estate development . On a more positive note, if golf estates are appropriately located and planned for, they could play a valuable role in rehabilitating derelict areas and transforming them into green belt areas.
Do golf courses in the Western Cape have pristine land?
They usually cover large tracts of land and are frequently proposed within pristine areas, where they reduce biodiversity and destroy conservation-worthy habitats. A worrying trend in the Western Cape is that golf course estates sometimes occur on prime agricultural land.
Does sewage water affect irrigation?
While the use of sewage water for irrigation may solve the water problem, it adds even more nutrients to the system, compounding the negative environmental impacts of using fertilisers. Pesticides and herbicides kill off insects and weeds within the confines of the golf course estate.
Does golf use sewage?
However, using water-saving measures can cut the water use by a third, and some golf course estates are using recycled sewage effluent to water their greens and fairways. This however has other negative environmental impacts, explained in the following section. Pollution through pesticides and fertilisers.