Golf courses are a major contributor to the environmental impact of golf. Golfers drive to the golf course, which requires gas and diesel fuel for their cars. The course itself can be environmentally damaging because it causes soil erosion, water pollution from pesticides and fertilizers, wildlife loss and habitat destruction.
How is golf 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.
How wasteful is golf?
Remembering that the average round of golf takes 4 hours we can safely assume that 1.824 billion hours or 76 million days are wasted playing golf every year . The average golfer wastes around 76 hours or 3.2 days playing golf every year.
Can golf be environmentally friendly?
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 polluting?
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.
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.
Are golf courses a waste of space?
There are almost 40,000 golf courses in the world. They sit there, using 26 times the amount of space per player as a football field - while providing far less value to the global community.
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).
Is playing golf sustainable?
Golf courses provide approximately 2 million acres of valuable green space that helps protect water quality, air quality, native plants and wildlife. Golf courses reduce temperatures in urban areas, prevent soil erosion and enhance flood control.
Is golf a sustainable sport?
Golf is making strides both on social and environmental impact. Internationally, the Golf Environment Organization (GEO) uses its OnCourse program to help facilities, tournaments and golf course developments meet strict voluntary standards of sustainability.
Do golf balls hurt the environment?
No ill effects on local wildlife have been documented to date from exposure to golf balls. But as the balls degrade and fragment at sea, they may leach chemicals and microplastics into the water or sediments. Moreover, if the balls break into small fragments, fish, birds or other animals could ingest them.
Do golf balls decompose?
An estimated 300 million golf balls are lost or discarded in the United States every year, according to research by the Danish Golf Union. Because it can take golf balls 100 to 1,000 years to decompose, scientists say, they present a major environmental risk to the planet.
Do golf balls break down in the ocean?
Golf balls are coated in a thin polyurethane shell, which is broken down over time by seawater, surf, and the rocky ocean floor, releasing microplastics that are consumed by marine animals. Balls also typically contain toxic zinc compounds.
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!
