Today, there is an increased awareness of environmental impacts of agriculture, with heavy criticisms made on the amount of inefficient water usage, as well as harmful pesticides, herbicides and fungicides used in farming. Many unsustainable farming methods are the source of eutrophication and soil degradation in the environment. On the other hand, farming is a necessity, and although it could be improved and made more sustainable, no one can say that we don't need farms.
However, many golf courses are currently coming under the same criticism; their construction may result in the destruction of wetlands and coastal habitats, and extensive pesticide and herbicide usage may cause eutrophication in water sources. The main problem however is the course's massive water consumption to keep the grass and trees green, and unlike farms, they are simply recreational.
Conversely, golf courses are sources of employment, and potentially, development. They may sometimes result in the protection of a species that take shelter in them. Additionally, the turf may help in filtering waste water.
With increased environmental awareness however, some of those golf courses are trying to improve to meet the higher standards of today's environment conscious world. New courses are also being designed with environmental impacts in mind. There are some courses that have banned the use of pesticides and herbicides, and are attempting to improve their environmental sustainability. These include courses such as Kabi Golf Course in Australia.
So those of us who love golf, check up on which courses you are going to, are they taking the right steps to minimize the harmful impact on the environment, or continuing to damage the environment? What are their negative and positive effects, and how do they compare. As travellers responsible for our actions, we may want to think twice; the grass may be greener all around you on a golf course, but is it really green?
