The True Face Of Golf Courses

Though the idea of golf courses as habitat conservation continues to spread, the reality isn't so green.

1 minute read

January 19, 2001, 9:00 AM PST

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"With all their open spaces, green grass, and generally pleasant- looking roughs, golf courses would seem to epitomize the principles of conservation and ecological design. Unfortunately, that perception is deceiving. Golf course developers tend to over-landscape. They remove too much natural habitat, introduce nonnative vegetation, draw too much water from aqueducts, and maintain properties with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The idea that golf courses could be what they appear to be, conservation habitats, has been percolating through the development community for the past decade. In fact, in some areas of the country, polluted, discarded, and stripped lands have turned to golf course development to repair the damage done by mines, landfills, quarries, or industrial waste. However, they represent only a small part of the golfing industry. Most courses are private developments associated with clubs, resorts, and, increasingly, master-planned communities." -The full text is only availble to ULI members

Thanks to Christian Peralta

Monday, January 1, 2001 in Urban Land Magazine

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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