Golf Whether it’s a playful red fox bounding across the fairway, a swarmof swallows swooping down to kiss my errant ball in the rough, or a pack of turkeys laughing at my game from the nearby woods, most times I golf there has usually been a wildlife spotting or two. And that’s a good thing. Golf and nature are friends, not foes. Golfers and the wildlife that call golf courses home do live in harmony, respecting each other’s space. Most courses, on average, occupy 150-200 acres of land. Much of that land is not in the playing field, so course designers and builders take it upon themselves to care for − and protect − the natural habitat. Some courses even plant native species that attract a variety of butterflies and birds. Golf courses are some of the few remaining urban nature reserves in existence. Do you know that there are more than 175,000 hectares of green space managed by approximately 2,346 golf courses in Canada? Naysayers claim that golf is bad for the environment. They call out the industry for its use of pesticides which they claim pollute groundwater and destroy the natural habitats of various flora and fauna. There is some veracity to these claims. That said, as any HR manager (or lawyer, for that matter) will tell you, there are always two sides to every story and the truth lies somewhere in the middle. The truth here is that there are many reasons golf is good for the environment and the keepers of the green (the superintendents) at the courses, who are tasked with maintaining these vast tracts of land, are usually environmental stewards who do their part to preserve what Mother Nature blessed them with. Most greenkeepers today have two- or four-year degrees in fields such as turf management, science or agronomy; they are part agronomist, part horticulturalist and part scientist; most of all, they take their role seriously. Let me count the ways in which a well-managed golf course is actually a positive host for our natural habitat. First, it provides a sanctuary for a variety of wildlife species, which otherwise would get driven from their dwellings if the golf course were sold and converted into a residential or commercial development. Turf on a golf course can protect soil from water and wind erosion; concurrently, some of these greenlands absorb enough water to service the communities and supply this natural resource to residents and neighbours. Some golf course designers incorporate wetlands into their plans, whichmay provide not only a habitat for certain species, but also act as a filtering mechanism for runoff and are even effective disposal sites for effluent waste water. With water resources becoming less readily available and water conservation on everyone’s minds, golf courses are also looking for ways to conserve Mother Nature’s number-one natural resource. The most common solutions are using reclaimed/potable water or collected stormwater to irrigate the property. The advancements in irrigation systems and technology also make sure that only the right amount of water is used in the right place and at the right time. Soil monitoring technology can tell golf course managers how much water is needed. Over the years, courses have been constructed on abandoned sites of mines, quarries and It’s good to be green… 42 | www.snowbirds.org
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