Eco-Golf

Eco-golf is a term that describes a golf course that has been designed to work better with the local environment.  Normally, golf courses are huge users of water (the equivalent of 15,000 people), pesticides, and fertilizers.  These eco-friendly golf courses are designed to cut down on water usage and almost eliminate the need for pesticides.

The Tournament Players Club in Michigan is located in a former dump site.  It was a very neglected area that is now completely restored into a golf course and at the same time, a wildlife sanctuary.  As for watering, the TPC sticks a pencil into the ground, and if it’s wet, they don’t water that night.  This simple method has cut water usage by 30%.

The nine-hole ecological golf course in Quijorna, Spain is focused on responsibly using water. Spain has been experiencing drought conditions - the worst in 60 years. This course currently uses only about 3500 cubic feet of water a year (about the same as 1 household). When the irrigation system is in place they plan to water the greens and the tees only, which will only account for about 10% of the total land area of the course.

The Arbor Links Golf Course in Nebraska (picture above) was a $4 million environmental experiment. According to CyberGolf.com:

…to help control water runoff drought-resistant, native grasses were used to minimize water usage and ponds were built to collect and re-use the runoff that does occur. Although the facility will limit pesticide and fertilizer use, wetlands were strategically added to filter out damaging chemical residues. As expected from a design influenced by the National Arbor Day Foundation, trees were planted and old trees were saved. Even the smallest details were taken into consideration. The tees sold in the clubhouse are made from biodegradable corn and the scorecards were printed with soy ink.

And finally, any eco-golfer interested in biodegradable golf tees and water soluble golf balls, should check out ecogolf.com. 

HGTV article on TPC Michigan eco-golf course

Drought hit Spain - The not so green green

CyberGolf article