
FACT: Golf is an environmentally damaging sport – The boom time has created scores of golf courses which are becoming the scourge of environmentalists. Here’s what the average golf course destroys when being built: Vegetation Cutting forests Creating artificial landscapes
How do golf courses affect the environment?
Golf’s Environmental and Economic Impact
- COMMUNITIES AND CHARITIES BENEFIT FROM GOLF. “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 ...
- GOLF GIVES BACK. Despite an economic downturn in 2008, charities across the country continued to benefit from golf. ...
- GREEN TRAVELERS VALUE GREEN COURSES. ...
What are the best golf courses?
Top 100 Courses in the World: GOLF’s 2021-22 ranking of the best designs on the planet
- Pine Valley. Analyzing a golf course need not be complicated. ...
- Cypress Point. It’s almost inconceivable that land this stunning was made available for golf. ...
- St. ...
- Shinnecock Hills. ...
- National Golf Links of America. ...
- Royal County Down. ...
- Royal Melbourne (West) The immense appeal of Alister MacKenzie’s Golden Age masterwork is captured by former world No. ...
- Oakmont. ...
What is the hardest golf course in America?
World's 10 toughest golf courses
- The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, United States. The Ocean Course is one of the world's most famous courses. ...
- Carnoustie Golf Links, Dundee, Scotland. Most important thing at Carnoustie? ...
- Ko'olau Golf Club, Oahu, Hawaii, United States. ...
- Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wisconsin, United States. ...
Are golf courses toxic?
No, on the golf course you’re most likely to acquire skin cancer from exposure to UV or a ruptured blood vessel and stroke when you miss that putt than exposure to dangerous pesticide. Be aware, pesticides are applied at night in the dark, and mixed with the water used for irrigation moments before it tick tick ticks out the sprinkler onto the grass.
Why is it important to have an eco friendly golf course?
What is Le Golf National?
About this website

Why are golf courses bad for 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.
Are golf courses environmentally 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.
Are golf courses wasteful?
CMV: Golf courses are incredibly wasteful and inefficient considering the amount of resources required for upkeep : r/changemyview.
How do golf courses pollute water?
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.
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 Gold Courses bad for the environment?
Those are all normative points, and, to varying degrees, reasonable people can differ on their merits. But the serious case against golf is empirical, and undeniable. That is its environmental impact. The construction and maintenance of golf courses is harmful to fragile ecosystems the world over.
Are golf courses 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 recycled water?
Nationwide, approximately 13% of golf courses use recycled water for irrigation. More facilities would gladly convert to using recycled water, but the main limitation is the lack of a piping system to deliver the recycled water to golf courses, which can cost $1 million per mile or more to install.
Do golf courses use a lot of water?
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.
Are golf courses toxic?
Toxic Fairways 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.
What are the disadvantages of living on a golf course?
The most obvious drawback to living on a golf course is the constant activity behind your home if you live directly on a fairway or green. There are busy parts of every neighborhood, but few involve golf carts and a steady stream of people as early as 5 a.m. on every possible day the weather allows it.
Do all golf courses use pesticides?
The Pesticide Specialist explained that pesticides are used on golf courses and other recreational areas to maintain the health and appearance of the turf. James learned that most golf courses have highly trained golf course superintendents who manage the course, including turf management and pest control strategies.
How can golf courses be more environmentally friendly?
Advances in Environmentally-Friendly Golf Course Design Many are aiming to significantly reduce water wastage by: Using technology to pinpoint water usage and minimize water wasting effectively. Utilizing filtered stormwater runoff through wetlands and turf grass. Creating and implementing turf reduction programs.
Are there biodegradable golf balls?
ECOBIOBALL is the first ever ecological and biodegradable golf ball to contain fish food in its core, making it perfect for playing golf close to marine environments.
Think golf, think golfer, think carbon footprint
FACT: Golf is an environmentally damaging sport – The boom time has created scores of golf courses which are becoming the scourge of environmentalists.
Golf courses are planet killers, as are golfers
Let’s not forget the chemicals that golf courses use every day in their attempt to keep them pristime for the ‘eco-friendly golfers’ of the world.
Chemicals, pesticides and more
Every day uses on golf courses include pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides, all three can of course create health problems for golfers and nearby residents.
Golf courses use lots of pesticides
Here lies the problem, governments from around the world support golf courses simply because of the economic benefits they can bring – tremendous, the government taxes the life out of us to be greener and then rewards planet-killing projects, how does that work?
Why Do People Play Golf?
For many people, golf courses are quite beautiful. They have large expanses of well kept lush green lawns, trees line the fairway and some have beautiful ponds as well. The grounds are well maintained and the golfers can enjoy a few hours outside in nature getting some exercise and fresh air. So what’s the problem with them?
Golf Courses and Pesticides
I found an article on the Golf Club Managers Association (GCMA) website from 2017 called ‘ Golfs Pesticide Problem ‘, and I thought I had come across some environmentally aware golfers calling for golf course maintenance to become more eco-friendly and less reliant on pesticides.
What Makes Golf Courses Eco-Friendly?
With a bit of work, yes. Golf courses are starting to lean more towards environmentally-friendly practices, which can have a significant impact considering the amount of space a golf course takes up. Here’s how golf courses can be eco-friendly.
Spotlight on Kodaikanal Golf Club
Kodaikanal Golf Club was established in 1895 by a few British golfers. It’s noted for its age, but in recent years, it’s come into the spotlight for a different reason.
Conclusion
Can golf courses be eco-friendly? Yes, if they’re willing to put measures into place to improve sustainability, reduce waste, and lower water usage.
Why is it important to have an eco friendly golf course?
Having an eco-friendly club will become a valuable way to promote your facility. As more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of protecting the environment, it is vital to show them that you care and are doing your part.
What is Le Golf National?
Built by the French Golf Federation, Le Golf National is located on the site of a former landfill using recycled construction materials. This shows golfers around the world that promoting nature, conserving resources and engaging with local stakeholders is an integral part of an eco-friendly golf club. “By proudly flying the GEO flag everyday, we show our customers, whether they are local golfers, international visitors or corporate groups, that we share their environmental concerns” said Paul Armitage, Direct of Golf National.
The greening of golf
Our research on golf and the environment has focused largely on the Canadian and American contexts. To borrow a phrase from University of Michigan professor Andrew Hoffman, what we have found is that, in the postwar years, environmentalism in the golf industry has effectively gone from heresy to dogma.
Perfection comes at a price
Can golf really claim to be environmentally-friendly? Certainly those protesting against the new Olympic golf course in Rio de Janeiro and Donald Trump’s development in Scotland have expressed strong and negative opinions about golf’s “friendliness” in those contexts. Indeed, golf still has environmental costs.
Golf goes organic?
As golf returns “home” to St Andrews, we would do well to remember that broccoli – even cauliflower – is a long way from extreme muddiness. The standards we have made for golf are relatively new.
What are golf courses doing on Earth Day?
In honor of Earth Day on April 22, here are what golf courses nationwide are doing to preserve the game’s natural heritage. Water Conservation. As golf courses in drought-stricken California are discovering, water is a very precious commodity. Throughout the nation, water conservation is no longer an option for golf courses.
Is golf a despoiler of the environment?
Golf, a game played in nature, has for years been lambasted by tree-huggers as a despoiler of the environment. Some of the criticism was deserved, but the industry overall has self-corrected since the millennium, pioneering cost-effective ways to become better stewards of the environment. In honor of Earth Day on April 22, ...
Is golf a competitive sport?
The game of golf really allows you to take in the beauty of the natural world, and perhaps more so than any other competitive sport. Not only are you out in the fresh air and under the sun, but you’re often in lush, verdant green, and tranquil surroundings. Plus, there’s plenty of leisurely walking and time to look around and soak it all in while you’re waiting for your turn to swing a club.
Is golf considered an eco friendly sport?
However, some may be surprised to learn that most golf courses are actually hard on the environment and that golf is not considered to be an ‘eco-friendly’ sport. There are some fairly solid reasons for this, and we’ll get into them, but first let’s keep it on the positive and relay some good news; eco-friendly golf courses built on ...
Why is it important to have an eco friendly golf course?
Having an eco-friendly club will become a valuable way to promote your facility. As more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of protecting the environment, it is vital to show them that you care and are doing your part.
What is Le Golf National?
Built by the French Golf Federation, Le Golf National is located on the site of a former landfill using recycled construction materials. This shows golfers around the world that promoting nature, conserving resources and engaging with local stakeholders is an integral part of an eco-friendly golf club. “By proudly flying the GEO flag everyday, we show our customers, whether they are local golfers, international visitors or corporate groups, that we share their environmental concerns” said Paul Armitage, Direct of Golf National.

Golf Courses Are Not Eco-Friendly – Fact
- Think golf, think golfer, think carbon footprint.
FACT: Golf is an environmentally damaging sport – The boom time has created scores of golf courses which are becoming the scourge of environmentalists. Here’s what the average golf course destroys when being built: 1. 1.1. Vegetation 1.2. Cutting forests 1.3. Creating artificial la… - Golf courses are planet killers, as are golfers
Let’s not forget the chemicals that golf courses use every day in their attempt to keep them pristime for the ‘eco-friendly golfers’ of the world.
Facts About Golf Courses in The UK
- Many of the facts below come from statista.com 1. England had the highest number of registered golf courses in Europe in 2018 at 1888 courses compared to the second highest country, which was Germany at a total of 730 golf courses. 2. Golf is increasing in popularity. In 1990, there were 1.71 million registered golfers in Europe, whereas in 2018, there were approximately 4.11 millio…
Are Golf Courses Eco-Friendly?
- It appears that golf courses, especially in the UK, are more eco-friendly than they were a mere 5 years ago. I don’t have a major problem with golf courses, personally I don’t think they look nice, but then I prefer the natural look of grass and not carpet-like turf. I certainly don’t think it’s necessary for the UK to have quite as many golf courses as we currently do. I’d much prefer som…