Greening the Green: Examining the Resource Use of Golf Courses with Suggestions on How to Improve their Sustainability

Abstract

Golf is a journey full of challenges, requiring each player to strive for precision, rather than merely a game of getting a small, dimpled ball in a cup hundreds of yards away in the fewest strokes possible The game is both physical and mental; it tests one’s focus, decision making, and resilience. Those who play competitively rarely feel as though they are competing against another player, instead their opponent is the course. And for those who play recreationally, the game can be a time to reconnect with nature, foster both old and new friendships, or enjoy the pursuit for perfection. Every hole, course, and round brings new and unique obstacles, ensuring no two rounds are ever the same.

The motivations for this topic - my love for golf and my passion for environmental protection - are very near and dear to my heart. These two interests started to develop at 15 years old, when I picked up my first golf club. By 16, I found myself deeply interested in nature and sustainability. I imagine that the experience of spending countless hours striving for a perfect golf swing and putting stroke, surrounded by the evergreen trees and the views of the North Cascade mountains in Washington state, was part of what developed my love for the outdoors. One of the reasons I love golf is that the game uniquely integrates the natural environment with human skill, where the interaction between nature and players is central to the game. I have learned to notice the small things in the outdoor world, such as the strength and directional changes from the wind, and how to apply the wind to my next shot to produce the best results. Although my love for both the sport and the environment have grown, so has my stress and concern for the future. As climate change continues to progress, I know changes must be made to our everyday lives to ensure a sustainable and livable future.

With growing concerns of the ecological footprint left by golf courses (Bekken, 2022; Syngeta, 2022), I have dealt with much internal conflict regarding the environmental impact of golf courses. I shared the same worries that the public also holds; the idea that golf courses are environmentally damaging, specifically in their use of land, water, and chemicals. In recent years, social media has brought these concerns to the forefront, leading many to question the importance of the game. One notable tweet reads “water exemptions for GOLF COURSES (sic) during apocalyptic droughts tells us everything we need to know about the nature of our government and who they are there to serve,” underscoring not only environmental impacts but also the exclusivity associated with the sport (Syngenta, 2022).

With this in mind, I wanted to use the opportunity presented through the Honor Scholar thesis to explore these concerns in the hopes that I might be able to present solutions for golf’s sustainability problem. This research also gave me an opportunity to learn more about golf from an academic perspective. Before discussing the methods and results of my analysis, I present what I have learned about this amazing sport. This context is important because it reveals how golf has always involved an intimate connection to landscape as well as some of the interesting traditions that have helped it become culturally relevant.