To the nongolfing public, golf courses may appear to be a monoculture of grass that demands constant water, fertilizer and pesticide applications that are antagonistic to the environment and wildlife. The reality is very different. Golf courses and the land they occupy can serve as a model for how recreational activities and the natural environment can not only coexist, but enhance one another.
When one puts pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard, and starts running calculations, most of the acreage on a golf course is not irrigated and receives minimal, if any, plant protectant applications. Closely mown turf requires a disproportionate amount of maintenance resources, but it makes up a relatively small percentage of the total acreage on a golf course.
For golfers like me, who often find themselves out in the rough, we don’t have to look far to see nature flourishing and being encouraged and nurtured in association with the golf course. At golf courses throughout the U.S., there are individuals who have made a career out of installing and monitoring bird houses, beehives, bat houses and other habitat areas. The USGA and golf industry partners are also providing support to establish monarch butterfly habitat on golf courses to help save this threatened species.
Out-of-play areas on golf courses can serve as protected habitat for endangered species, such as gopher tortoises and others. Conducting field trips to these managed wildlife sanctuaries can bring the public and nature lovers to a golf course to observe wildlife and these visits may potentially attract new golfers. At the very least, inviting the public out to view environmental initiatives on the golf course can help to educate nongolfers about the environmental stewardship that happens on many courses.
It can be a wild kingdom off the cart paths, so proceed with caution. Nature can be unpredictable and beautiful, and is best enjoyed from a respectful distance. If that alligator resting by your ball doesn’t look like he wants you to play through, it’s probably best to take your free drop and leave that golf ball for someone else to find.
Southeast Region Agronomists:
Chris Hartwiger, director, USGA Course Consulting Service – chartwiger@usga.org
Steve Kammerer, Ph.D., senior consulting agronomist – skammerer@usga.org
Jordan Booth, Ph.D., agronomist – jbooth@usga.org