Golf Courses: Environmental Impacts

Abstract

The relationship between golf courses, forced ecosystems and the environment is extremely complex and need to be established carefully because of the social pressures and implications of this type of facilities. The main environmental aspects of golf courses, the way the golf structures exert an influence on the environment, the management practices and the use of pesticides are the main features to be considered. The soil-plant-atmosphere continuum is at the core of the golf and must be managed in an integrated way to reduce environmental impacts of the whole facility. Many golf courses are located in natural areas, where wildlife exists and there is an influence on the course and vice versa. There is also the need to define the relationships between a course and its surrounding environments.