Within this article we discuss the environmental and ecological issues that exist on a golf course. It also states some of the ways to ensure that the use of the land can be optimised in order to benefit the area’s ecosystem, and thus not have the negative impact that such ventures, such as golf course creation, have been known to have on its environment. This can also be applied to any area of land, no matter the use.
Golf courses have not been known for their friendly stance towards wildlife. What with their misuse of water, and chemicals of one form or another used in the controlling of the environment to benefit the golfer and not those creatures that would make the place their home.
Times have changed, and these days there is a rise in the helping and not hindering of the wildlife on courses. This Helping not hindering of wildlife can be achieved by removing the use of chemicals such as fertilisers and pesticides, reducing the amount of water used on the course, and creating reed beds and hay meadows, as well as putting in plants such as heather which are native to our environment.
Out of bounds, rough areas and boundaries
The out of bounds, boundaries (areas of land used to separate the course from the outside world) and rough areas on courses are excellent places for nurturing wildlife. More and more golf courses are actively encouraging the population of wildlife in these areas of the course, which are rarely ever crossed into by anyone other than those who maintain the grounds.
The naturalistic golf course
These are golf courses that have been designed and built to make use of the areas natural landscape and thus not put in hills, dips and waterways that were not there originally. This type of golf course construction is ideal for the environment, but obviously a lot harder to achieve and locate, especially if the landscape and environment in a proposed area does not contain the required typical golf course features. The naturalistic golf courses help to maintain the natural ecosystem of the area, and thus aid the animal and plant life.
Be proactive with your eco friendly course
In the United Kingdom the organisation The Wildlife Trust, has put together a biodiversity benchmark, which is an award given out to those who have followed the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, which in turn provides a set of standards to assist people and organisations in the use of their land with the environment in mind, so that it benefits the bio-system of the area.
With this information in hand, the correct use of water, the elimination or at least reduction of chemicals, and the use of the areas of the golf course that can be set aside to benefit the local ecosystem (out of bounds, rough areas, and boundaries), the land owner can make their property a more biodiverse and eco-friendly place for the local flora and fauna, as well as a pleasing environment for the land owner’s original purpose for the area, whether golf course or not.
