In these difficult times, many golf courses are "going green" to attract new golfers and, in doing so, are reducing their
operating costs. This new philosophy pays off: "Going green" makes good cents.
With current environmental trends, no golf course will be exempt from pressures related to climate change. (PHOTO BY: MIKE
KLEMME)
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In addition to economic pressures, environmental pressures continue to mount. While the golf industry has improved its environmental
performance so people understand and appreciate the benefits golf courses provide, government agencies and many environmental
and political groups either do not understand the benefits or discount them because of philosophical beliefs. Environmental
pressures continue to grow, including a spotlight on pesticide use and management, fertilizer use and management, water use
for irrigation, habitat endangerment, community health, groundwater and surface-water contamination, air pollution and even
complaints about increased traffic/noise.
A key component of "going green" is to address your operation's greenhouse (GHG) gas emissions and to reduce its carbon footprint.
With current environmental trends, no golf course will be exempt from pressures related to climate change. Government, at
all levels, contemplates enacting climate change/greenhouse gas legislation. Some organizations, including golf courses, may
be required to quantify, report and reduce their greenhouse emissions.
Defining greenhouse gasesGases that trap heat in the atmosphere are referred to as greenhouse gases (GHG). GHG either occur naturally or are emitted
to the atmosphere through natural processes and human activities. Some GHGs are created and emitted solely through human activities
and are under our control. The principal GHGs resulting from human activity are:
- Carbon dioxide, which enters the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, propane, coal, etc.), solid waste, trees
and other wood/organic products, and also of other chemical reactions. It can be removed from the atmosphere (sequestered)
when it is absorbed by plants (trees, turfgrass) as part of the biological cycle.
- Methane, emitted during production and transport of coal, natural gas and oil. Methane is also produced from agricultural practices
(including turf management) and by the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills.
- Nitrous oxide emissions, which depend on soil conditions, fertilizer application rates and meteorological conditions.
To be prepared for climate-change pressures, and to enhance the social responsibility principles of your golf course, consider
initiating a GHG environmental assessment/action plan. It can pay off well.
Golf course examples
Two courses make a good example of the savings possible. The first, an 18-hole public course in western Canada, is open all
year. Its GHG emissions and reduction targets for each input area are: fuel use, 100 tons with 20-ton reduction; utilities,
260 tons with 50-ton reduction; waste, 75 tons with 15-ton reduction; and fertilizer use, 6 tons with 1- or 2-ton reduction).
That means a reduction goal of about 85 tons is quite reasonable.
If a moderate effort to reduce inputs occurs with BMPs and new low-cost technologies, then a conservative 20 percent to 25
percent reduction could be realized, with a total GHG reduction of about 85 tons.
The second course is a 27-hole private operation in central Canada, where golf is played seven or eight months per year. Its
GHG emissions and targets are: fuel use, 110 tons with 25–tons reduction; utilities, 890 tons with 200–ton reduction; waste,
90 tons with 20–ton reduction; and fertilizer, 27 tons with 5-ton reduction.
On this course, about 250 tons of GHGs could readily be eliminated. How does one quantify the progress made?
