I was once a volunteer, and board member for a State Natural Conservation Area known as the Volo Bog, located in Ingleside, IL.  From my perspective, it is good to see that members of the golf industry are becoming good stewards of the environment.

In fact, with urban sprawl being what it is, all golf courses may some day be designated natural wildlife sanctuaries.  Golf course superintendents, and  are continuing to become more educated to the impact of their operation on the local habitats, and are working closely with wildlife and eco management organizations to make this coexistence a beneficial one whenever possible.

It used to be that the closest we ever came to understanding golf courses relationships to plants and animals, was when we hit our ball into an area where a sign posted read “restricted area” (wetland, or protected plant area).  You cannot retrieve the ball legally in such areas under penalty of law.

Nowadays, from the time a new course site is chosen, all the way through to completion and grand opening, the environment is considered, and (ecologically sound) decisions are made to manage the entire process correctly.

Decisions like laying out the course to preserve trees, providing natural areas where indigenous plants can thrive, building fairways, and greens to best use the water and not waste it. 

Managing water resources so they do not become contaminated with chemicals are all factors taken into account.  Fish and animals are managed so they can live there with minimal impact on them by the golfers and the course itself.

Lastly, energy consumption is also reviewed to cut down on pollution, which also can have a benefit of lowering operating costs to the course owners.

There are actually solar (assisted) electric power golf carts on the market now that offer the buyers’ energy credits, so you could say the Federal government has a hand in the greening of golf too.

While researching this article, I found several sites that were helpful for understanding the topic. One was The Environmental Institute for Golf (www.eifg.org) which has much information about why we need to pay attention to these issues, as well as what is being done today, and planned for the future.

They work closely with (and are part of), The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (www.gcsaa.org), whose members are the men and women who implement the actions to make the course environment a better place.

Most of us refer the green as the place we roll the ball in the cup. According to the USGA, the green is the entire playing area where the sport of golf is played, and the putting green is where the cup is.

Green may just be getting a little greener in the game of golf.

Practice, practice, practice…Enjoy Golf!

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