A Golf Blog for the Rest of Us!
Is Golf exercise? Does walking the course help keep you in shape? Can you golf eco-friendly? What are courses doing to help the environment? You've got questions, we've got answers.
So in my previous post, I talked about backups on the tee causing long rounds. And we here at Golfstinks have also touched on exercising as it relates to golf and golfing eco-friendly.
That being said, I would like to intertwine these three things. Instead of using gas riding carts, which do not provide much exercise, maybe golfers should use mountain bikes? This could help the environment and also provide a workout as well.
Thoughts?
If you are into fitness, I’m sure you are well aware of the obstacle course races that are gaining popularity by the day. Even if the extent of your daily exercise routine is getting out of bed, you might have heard of these obstacle course races as well. There’s the Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, Spartan Sprint, Spartan Beast – the list goes on. What’s great about these races is that along with getting you in shape they are also associated with great causes such as the Wounded Warrior Project.
GolfStinks is very thankful and proud of all the men and woman who serve or have served. We are also advocates of staying healthy (although some of our physical appearances might lead you to believe otherwise) and obviously we love golf. So, what if we were to incorporate golf with some sort of an obstacle course and do it for a great cause? Instead of holding a normal golf tournament, let’s put a spin on things and get our heart rates above dead!
Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!
“We’ve just had the Olympics and many of the new sports facilities built for the Olympic Park in East London were commissioned with the strict policy of creating sustainable buildings. How often does this happen in golf? [There are] no policy directives from the governing bodies of golf. I guess it only occurs if the owners and or developers have an interest in the environment.” – Peter Gorse (Owner, Golf Refugees)For the past five years, the Environmental Institute for Golf (the philanthropic arm of the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America, or GCSAA) has been polling golf courses about their environmental stewardship. Why?
Well, because people complain that golf courses are killing the planet. For some, golf courses represent everything that is wrong with how humans treat the environment. First, vast tracts of land must be cleared to build the course (average course is 150 acres); then water, chemicals and fossil fuels are used to maintain it; and finally more fossil fuels are used (in the form of gas golf carts) to actually play on it.
Enter the Environmental Institute for Golf (of which Greg Norman is the Advisory Counsel Chair). Thus far, they’ve conducted surveys on water use; nutrient use; energy use; and are planning one on pest management soon (perhaps they should also consider adding a wildlife habitat study to boot).
Anyway, the information they’ve gathered is the first of its kind and they should be lauded for compiling it. And the results suggest things have been getting better – For example, 96% of golf courses have implemented at least one environmental improvement since 1996 and nearly half have implemented at least five improvements.
However, data also suggests courses continue to fertilize at a “slightly higher” rate than farmers fertilize some large-scale commodities in the U.S. In addition, golf courses used 30% more fossil fuels for maintenance per acre than a typical city-owned park in California. And one has to wonder how golf courses will stack-up with the use of pesticides, once that study has actually been conducted and released.
But for what it’s worth, the studies conducted by the Environmental Institute for Golf recommended golf courses seek alternative energy sources; proactively conserve water; and take steps to responsibly store and apply fertilizer (e.g. these studies show the golf industry is trying). Perhaps this research will set the standard for golf’s future policies and programs regarding the environment. As Scott J. Morrison (Sustainability Associate for the Golf Environment Organization) says: “Environmental certification programs support the need to measure the use of inputs and resources…after all you can’t manage what you don’t measure.”
And some environmental studies and programs seem to have already had an influence on the people that just might matter most:
“The new generation of Golf Superintendent is more focused on the environment than ever. Given programs like Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Permits to take Water (PTTW), expansion of environmentally sensitive areas and incoming scrutinizing of fertilizer and fertility programs…I think the real issue rests with owners, stakeholders and boards of directors…Many clubs have older owners and boards that only see the costs attached with becoming compliant instead of the long term positives that these programs bring to the plate.” – Andrew Hardy (Superintendent, Pheasant Run Golf Club and blogger at pheasantturf.wordpress.com)
Only time will tell if this new generation of golf supers will have a substantial impact on golf’s environmental stewardship, but as Mr. Gorse and Mr. Hardy both allude to, the ultimate responsibility lies with the governing bodies of golf (USGA and R&A) and course owners and developers. If the people in charge don’t care about the environment, then probably not much will change.
For now, the studies conducted by the Environmental Institute for Golf show courses are getting better when it comes to environmental stewardship. But by occupying far more land than a normal property owner, doesn’t it stand to reason that golf courses should not only get better, but really be the bellwethers of the community? Course owners and developers should set an example by providing the funding and resources necessary for golf superintendents to implement more eco-friendly options.
And there’s plenty more that can be done. Environmentalists, like Mr. Gorse, long for a day when all new golf facilities use compost toilets and worm turds to help fertilize the fairways and greens. In doing so, the rest of the community – from the leaders on down – might take notice and implement similar changes in town. Golf has something special going on in that the game is played in nature’s entire splendor. As such, golf needs to lead the way.
As Mr. Morrison puts it:
“Golf is doing a lot of great things, but we are not there yet, we have some difficult obstacles to cross and how we handle these will determine the environmental, economic and cultural dimensions of our future.“
Let’s forge our future and lead by example.
Do you have any idea how many golf courses are in the United States? You can find out easily – just conduct a simple search on our courses and golfers page.
If you only select “USA” as your country and hit search, you will get 725 pages worth of courses with 25 courses per page. Some quick math will tell you that adds up to 18,125 golf courses in the US.
Do you have any idea how big that number is? Well, let me help put it in perspective for you: How long will you drive down the main drag of any city or town in America before you pass a McDonlad’s? Not very long, right? Well, there are only 12,804 Mickey D’s in the United States.
Does that help you wrap your head around 18 thousand f’ing golf courses? Let me ask you something else: What the hell is this country doing with 18,000 golf courses? There’s only 50 states for goodness sake! That’s nearly 400 courses per state! I can understand a state the size of Texas having hundreds of courses (actually has 940), but why does my pea-sized home state of Connecticut have hundreds (199 to be exact)?
The way I see it, having this many golf courses poses a couple problems: First, there’s the negative environmental impact. In the U.S. (which is home to more than half the world’s courses), golf is played on nearly 2 million acres of land. That land requires more than 2 billion* gallons of water daily to be kept green. In addition, vast tracts of natural habitats are being displaced.
In Wyoming in 2004, for example, bald eagles in the region were driven from their nests to accommodate a new golf course just outside of Jackson Hole – an area already established as a golfing mecca.
But giving the middle finger to wildlife is only part of golf’s environmental problem – every year, millions of pounds of pesticides are used on courses in the US. And there’s runoff of those chemicals into our rivers and streams – water that will eventually contaminate wildlife, plant life, and human life.
If this wasn’t bad enough – let’s look at the second problem I have with America’s overabundance of golf courses: It simply isn’t good for the game. The reality is (to quote a post I wrote over a year ago) “every year since 2006, more golf courses have closed in the U.S. than have opened.”
We over-did-it. A decade ago, new courses were springing up everywhere. Now, they’re closing – And struggling private courses are opening their doors to the public in an effort to stay afloat.
Cost-saving measures include squeezing in as many tee-times as possible and trimming staff (course rangers in particular). Both of the aforementioned steps have contributed to slow play (a turn-off for both new and established golfers alike).
Look, I love golf (if you’ve read this blog before, I think it’s obvious) – but don’t you think 18,000 courses is spreading this game a little thin? In this post-Tiger era (and let’s face it, it’s definitley post-Tiger), interest in the game has waned somewhat – we can no longer afford to maintain (successfully anyway) all these tracts of land.
Perhaps a small downsize would be good for golf. Lord knows if our gluttony continues…”Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.” – Proverbs 23:20-21.
*Corrected Figure (this post originally stated 4 billion gallons of water per day).
Going Green. Does that phrase make you giddy with excitement or make you roll your eyes in disgust? I don’t need to take a survey to tell you there are those who believe in taking steps to lessen our environmental footprint and those who believe this whole green movement is a giant bowel movement.
Regardless of which side of the fence you’re on, if you’re a golfer you should listen up. Right now, there’s an organized group petitioning the USGA and R&A (Royal & Ancient Golf Club) to begin addressing environmental concerns in regards to golf – namely on the pro tours (PGA, European Tour, etc.).
If the petition grows legs, it could mean rule changes (something no one ever seems to welcome) and changes in the equipment we use. But will these changes be a bad thing, an unnecessary thing or a step in the right direction?
The petition began over at Golf Refugees, a golf apparel brand out of the UK. The company prides itself on producing eco-friendly clothes and products and decided to petition the powers that be in golf to begin “incorporating greener measures into the sport’s guidelines.”
So far, they’ve received a “we will consider your input in due course” letter back from the R&A, but basically what Golf Refugees wants is this:
- Golf balls need to be biodegradable
- Golf apparel needs to made from materials which are recycled and or compostable.
- All golf courses need to have compost toilets and minimal water, pesticide and fertiliser usage.
Golf Refugees owner Peter Gorse states:
“…the governing bodies of golf [should] consider introducing ‘eco golf rules’ over a reasonable time frame. I see no reason why major golf ball manufactures cannot introduce using recycling materials into their products over the next few years. These part-recycled golf balls should be the future tournament golf balls.”
My first reaction to Mr. Gorse’s crusade was that it’s impractical. Look (in case you don’t already know), I’m definitely on the “we need to reduce our environmental footprint” side of the fence (see my other eco-posts below). But the Golf Refugees petition seemed like an impossible goal.
Instead, I suggested to Mr. Gorse that he push for creating one “eco-tournament” annually on one of the pro tours. A tournament that’s played on a more eco-friendly course and players use recycled balls or tees or something. That to me seemed more feasible. But to request the USGA and R&A create blanket eco-rules for golf was a bit far-fetched in my opinion.
Maybe I’m not being a forward thinker? Is Mr. Grouse and the Golf Refugees idea completely insane? Will it just convolute the golf rule books and add costs to an already expensive game? I share Mr. Grouse’s ideology for green living, but I’m not sure if this petition will help or hurt an already struggling game.
Perhaps we have to start somewhere…