Golf Environment Organization

Perhaps more than any other sport, golf's relationship with the natural world is one of its defining characteristics.

As relatively large green spaces, often with a variety of natural and semi-natural vegetation, and typically with sizeable out-of-play areas, all golf courses have the potential to contribute to the conservation of nature and promotion of biodiversity.

But golf courses are not automatically beneficial to the protection and enhancement of ecosystems, nor their associated habitats and species. What golf facilities do in terms of conserving nature is dependent on attention to detail in their planning, design, construction and management. At a time of increasing loss, degradation and fragmentation of habitats, golf courses can serve as important sanctuaries from human pressures. In many cases golf courses provide valuable niche habitats, and refuge for rare and vulnerable species, that are notable locally, nationally and internationally. This highlights that genuine ecological value and great golf are not mutually exclusive. In fact many would argue that they are synonymous.

All golf facilities should take the opportunity to maximise the ecological value of their courses. It is an incredibly creative and rewarding process that won't simply benefit wildlife, but members, visitors and staff - all who will appreciate more diverse and naturalised surroundings in which to work and play.

The big question is...how to do that?  How to create ecological richness and diversity in a way that compliments golf?

A sound understanding of your site's ecological value, the ecosystems in which your course sits and which exist within your course, are important starting points for any programme, but bear in mind there may be simple things you can start to do to immediately. Reducing the amount of amenity grassland and increasing the proportion of rough vegetation is one way to immediately increase the size of habitat patches and improve the way they connect, and at the same time cut back on maintenance costs.  And who knows, you might also increase your golfers enjoyment of the course.

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