Editor's Picks
Play Golf Without Clubbing Mother Nature
The game of golf evokes the word "green" -- and yet many courses are far from green in the eco-friendly sense of the word. Typically golf courses use a lot of water, a lot of pesticides and a lot of fertilizer. All of those chemicals follow the water into nearby lakes and streams, causing ground water and surface water pollution. And of course, those smooth links often replace the trees and tall grasses that form important wildlife habitat.
Golf is a frustrating enough sport as it is. Take some of the stress out of your game by finding an eco-friendly golf course -- or encouraging your favorite club to go green. We'll show you how to find clubs that have reduced their water use and their use of harmful chemicals. And we'll show you how you can help maximize your own course's potential as a playable course and a wildlife sanctuary.
Finding an eco-friendly course
To find an eco-friendly course near your home or vacation destination, check Audubon International's list of certified golf courses
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Greening a golf course can take many forms. For example, Sanctuary Golf Course at Westworld in Scottsdale, Ariz., has received Audubon Signature status for serving as a wildlife sanctuary by protecting habitat vital to native plants and animals.
Meanwhile, the Vineyard Golf Club in Edgartown, Mass. and The Resort at Squaw Creek in Squaw Valley, Calif., use only natural biostimulants and compost instead of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
Meadow Lakes Golf Course in Prineville, Ore., doubles as a wastewater disposal site. The course uses irrigation and 10 evaporation ponds to dispose of the city's wastewater.
