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As far as greenness goes, the sport of golf seems like it could go either way. On the one hand, a golf course is a pretty, well-preserved source of plant life. Trees and grasses growing in the center of a town can cut down on carbon dioxide and reduce urban heat islands. Plants are almost always a positive, except for ragweed, poison ivy and the Headless Horseman’s pumpkin head.
But how much fresh water is used to maintain the green, green grass of a golf course and how much gasoline is used to meticulously mow that grass to a regulation size?Chemicals used to maintain the green are usually not very green themselves. Golf courses can also disrupt the natural beauty of our landscapes and replace them with an artificial environment that is often dotted by loping doctors bedecked in plaid.
There are ways to make the sport greener. Here are some of those ways.
- Use biodegradable golf balls. These balls have been featured on Renovation Nation. They will completely biodegrade and leave no toxins behind. Some claim that it is safe for fish to eat them, but I would imagine that it would at least give the fish indigestion.
- Use green tees. What to do about the problem of tees? If you construct a tee from wood, you waste precious trees, but if you make it out of plastic, you end up with a non-degradable product that will be around until the next ice age. Luckily, there are other alternatives. Bamboo tees are biodegradable, and they rapidly replenish. There are also tees made out of corn products and other eco-friendly materials.
- Don’t use a golf cart. There are electric golf carts, but golf is a sport. It seems like there should be exercise involved.
- Only patronize golf courses that adhere to eco-friendly philosophies. They exist and if you live in a large metropolis, they shouldn’t be too hard to find.
This post was inspired by Renovation Nation.
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