Golf courses have long had a reputation as poor land uses and as environmental spoilers. Through concerted efforts of industry stakeholders, however, golf courses are taking on new roles as community assets.
“Frequently, golf courses are about the only green space in urban areas other than a park,” notes Terry Stratton, Golf Course Superintendent at Little River (Calif.) Inn Golf & Tennis Resort.
They also provide long-term economic, environmental, social and recreational benefits to a community, notes Greg Lyman, Environmental Programs Director of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
“Golf courses are some of the longest-standing businesses in a community,” Lyman explains. “They provide jobs, tax revenue and a center for charitable giving. Many community organizations hold fundraisers at golf courses on a local level. On a national level, of every city the PGA Tour visits, a portion of the proceeds goes to local charities in an amount that far eclipses that of other sports.”
Golf courses also provide countless environmental benefits to the watersheds they occupy.
“Superintendents have the capacity and tools to make that landscape a productive environment for the long haul; I think that’s sometimes overlooked,” says Lyman. “The inputs used to provide this product are managed professionally with the property and community in mind.”
Cutler Robinson Jr., CGCS, Director of Golf Course Operations at Bayville Golf Club in Virginia Beach, Va., believes the general public ultimately will recognize golf courses as desirable community assets.
“The future of the game itself will be tied to urban planning for environmental protection,” he explains. “Once people are educated about the environmental benefits of golf courses, a lot of people are going to want golf courses to be in future urban settings.”
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