The Most Earth-Friendly Golf Courses

[billchao]

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/2015-04/most-earth-friendly-courses-photos#slide=1

Another Golf Digest slideshow. Not all slides are individual courses.

I'm a big fan of environmentally-friendly golf courses and turf management. Not only is it better for the environment and better for the courses' bottom lines, but you can see from the pictures that it can also create some really scenic and more interesting golf courses.

[jsgolfer]

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/2015-04/most-earth-friendly-courses-photos#slide=1

Another Golf Digest slideshow. Not all slides are individual courses.

I'm a big fan of environmentally-friendly golf courses and turf management. Not only is it better for the environment and better for the courses' bottom lines, but you can see from the pictures that it can also create some really scenic and more interesting golf courses.

Why are you a fan of environmentally friendly courses?  What do you think makes an environmentally friendly course? Is it buying less water or using less water.  Using less pesticides?

As a Civil/Environmental Engineer who has worked in the water/wastewater field and has done other environmental projects, I'm always curious about why?

[Fourputt]

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/2015-04/most-earth-friendly-courses-photos#slide=1

Another Golf Digest slideshow. Not all slides are individual courses.

I'm a big fan of environmentally-friendly golf courses and turf management. Not only is it better for the environment and better for the courses' bottom lines, but you can see from the pictures that it can also create some really scenic and more interesting golf courses.

I don't really think much of the research that went into that article.  The most environmentally sound course I know of is the Old Works course in Anaconda, Montana, designed by Jack Nicklaus and maintained as a cap to prevent further spreading of the pollution from a 19th century copper and silver refinery (EPA Superfund site).  I find it disappointing that they didn't even mention it.

[jsgolfer]

I don't really think much of the research that went into that article.  The most environmentally sound course I know of is the Old Works course in Anaconda, Montana, designed by Jack Nicklaus and maintained as a cap to prevent further spreading of the pollution from a 19th century copper and silver refinery (EPA Superfund site).  I find it disappointing that they didn't even mention it.

Two courses built over an old landfill in Chicago.

"The two golf courses that comprise Harborside International Golf Center are just 16 minutes from downtown Chicago and on one of the city's highest elevations at a site originally used for disposal of municipal solid waste and, later, for incinerator ash and wastewater sludge. Another portion was used as a landfill for construction debris.

The first nine holes of the Starboard course and the first 15 holes of the Port course are built on the sanitary waste landfill, and the remaining holes--in addition to the teaching facility and practice ranges--are built on the construction rubble landfill."

[MrDC]

Is using less water really "environmentally-friendly"? it's water, not acid, the earth loves water.

Using less water is human needs friendly, and only in some areas, many have no water problems.

[DaveP043]

Hilltops Golf Course in Lorton, VA, and Hamptons Golf in Hampton, VA are two more built on landfills.  I'm sure that those of us who know how to use a google-machine could find lots more.  This seems a very logical and productive use for land which otherwise would sit vacant.

I have to admit, I loved the look of Pinehurst for the US Open last summer.  I'm just disappointed that there was a lack of rainfall in the weeks leading up to the tournament, I'd have loved to see the non-cultivated areas looking a little more grown-in, but that's life when you stop artificially manipulating the growth.

[MSchott]

I don't really think much of the research that went into that article.  The most environmentally sound course I know of is the Old Works course in Anaconda, Montana, designed by Jack Nicklaus and maintained as a cap to prevent further spreading of the pollution from a 19th century copper and silver refinery (EPA Superfund site).  I find it disappointing that they didn't even mention it.

The criteria is how much maintenance, water and pesticides it takes to sustain a course. Courses like Old Works have their merits initially but what does it cost to maintain it? Probably the same as most courses.

The reality is that it costs a lot of resources and money to keep most courses in nice condition. Think about keeping out weeds, maintaining greens, trees, fairways and rough. If you own a course in California right now, your course is probably pretty brown due to the water shortage. Low maintenance grasses, more waste areas, and firm and fast conditions keep costs, resources and pesticide use down. That's what they mean in the article. There's a mistaken idea that courses should look like Augusta National. The typical muni and even private course cannot afford and should not attempt to meet that standard.

[billchao]

Why are you a fan of environmentally friendly courses?

Because I live on this planet

I mentioned a couple of reasons in my original post, but to expand upon one of them, I just find a course more interesting if it works with the natural landscape instead of (and I use this term very loosely) "artificially" transforming it into what some ideal of what we may believe a golf course should be. @MSchott mentioned Augusta National as a kind of ideal golf course, and while I think it's a beautiful course, it's not the kind of golf course they can nor should build in Las Vegas, for example.

What do you think makes an environmentally friendly course? Is it buying less water or using less water.  Using less pesticides?

I'll admit I'm not an expert on the subject, but I feel that reduction in water consumption as well as less use of pesticides/herbicides/fungicides/fertilizer would qualify. I know there are many sources of water for golf course irrigation and some of it is highly sustainable, but it still takes energy to operate these systems.

I also like increasing biodiversity by allowing native vegetation to grow and creating areas for wildlife preservation.

[natureboy]

Is using less water really "environmentally-friendly"? it's water, not acid, the earth loves water.

Using less water is human needs friendly, and only in some areas, many have no water problems.

It's really about how much water they draw from municipal sources (which are quite energy intensive) or private aquifers which affects how much is available for natural vegetation & other human uses. Plus the more the water used on site that stays on site, the less any fertilizer or pesticides used tends stay put & out of to streams & rivers (or aquifers) downhill.

Hilltops Golf Course in Lorton, VA, and Hamptons Golf in Hampton, VA are two more built on landfills.  I'm sure that those of us who know how to use a google-machine could find lots more.  This seems a very logical and productive use for land which otherwise would sit vacant.

I have to admit, I loved the look of Pinehurst for the US Open last summer.  I'm just disappointed that there was a lack of rainfall in the weeks leading up to the tournament, I'd have loved to see the non-cultivated areas looking a little more grown-in, but that's life when you stop artificially manipulating the growth.

I liked Pinehurst too. The gold color looked more natural and was a nice contrast with the pines. Plus the harder fairway edges were more likely to put a poorly placed tee shot into the native areas.