Golf courses are legendary for their perfectly manicured greens surrounded by lovely landscapes that are generously fertilized, treated, irrigated, and frequently mowed. But there is a new wave in the world of golf courses. Golf course designers, golf course landscape architects, and golf course superintendents are changing the landscape, driven by concerns for the environment and the need to control the bottom line.
Water is key for any golf course; the second biggest line item after labor. Fertilizers, pesticides, and other inputs add up as well. We visit four golf courses, including a classic course from the 1920s that is slowly replacing turf-covered non-play areas to waterwise plants, and preparing to supplement potable water with recycled water for irrigation. We visit a new course in Orange county, built into a native habitat, where the course’s minimalist design replaced only as much habitat as was absolutely necessary for play surfaces. We see the artful and seamless transition from nature made to human made. In fact, we admire a beautiful and naturalistic riparian area that looks as if it were always there. At the renowned Torrey Pines Golf Course, we see how management interfaces with endangered plant habitat, while in Carlsbad, California, we visit a course whose creation created a ripple effect that resulted in a native habitat conservation plan for the entire city – and an increase in endangered bird populations that live in the habitat the course sits in. Along the way, we meet the landscape architect involved in most of the courses we visit, and hear him describe the careful and thoughtful work that goes into growing greener golf courses.
Resources
Pinnacle Design
The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe
Shady Canyon Golf Course
Palos Verdes Golf Club
Torrey Pines Golf Course
The Crossing at Carlsbad Golf Course
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