Wildlife can thrive on golf courses where eco-friendly practices minimize chemical use and help preserve natural habitats. Photograph by Scott Wiseman

 

| Eco-Friendly Golf Links |

Golf courses can be controversial. On Maui, for instance, the isolated, laid-back town of Hana aggressively fought a proposed hotel course—the town’s first—fearing that an influx of recreationists would change the special, low-key feel of the place.

Golf courses can be environmentally troublesome, too. As discussed in “Greener Golf” (in the May/June issue), a typical course uses astounding amounts of water—as much as a small town—and can generate more pollution from fertilizers and insecticides than does a farm. Golf courses take up as much United States acreage as Rhode Island and Delaware combined, with more courses opening each month.

Compact greens and native plantings reduce water use at Desert Willow, Palm Springs, California. Photograph by John Henebry

But courses can be beautiful. One study found that 70 percent of home buyers next to a course didn’t even play golf; they just liked the view. Now a small but increasing number of courses are seeking eco-friendly certification from Audubon International by polluting less and conserving water and wildlife habitat. Arnold Palmer and other pros have been promoting new management practices that avoid the worst environmental problems and favor designs suited to the landscape.

The Tourism Forum asks this month: If you take golfing trips, would you give preference to destinations with eco-friendly courses?

If you don’t play golf, do you think golf courses in general are a good thing to have at the destinations you visit?

—Jonathan Tourtellot

Jonathan Tourtellot is a TRAVELER senior editor and forum host.

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