Keith Negley
Golf has long had a reputation as an environmental hazard: Courses have long required large quantities of water, fertilizer and herbicides needed to maintain verdant greens, making it the sports industry’s wolf in sheep’s clothing.
But much of that is changing. Over 30 percent of golf courses in the United States are Audubon-certified, which ensures native grasses and habitat for insects and birds. The U.S. Golf Association and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America laid out guidelines in 2017 encouraging all U.S. courses to practice better environmental stewardship by the end of 2020, including deeper commitments to water and energy conservation and pollution prevention.