During the conference, the word “sustainability” was used in various ways and contexts. In the interest of having a shared vision and language, we think it would be helpful to define what we mean by sustainability for golf course design and construction.
The concept of “Sustainable Development” was first introduced in 1987 in the World Commission on Environment and Development report “Our Common Future”, often known as the Brundtland Report. The report presented the concept of Sustainable Development as “Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. In essence, this means thinking about how best to use scarce resources (water, land, natural resources) to minimize their depletion, as well as considering the long-term implications of their use (what their long-term impacts might be). To this largely environmental focus, and in the light of the above goal of “meeting needs” we must include the importance of a healthy economy and a healthy society. This combination of environmental, economic and social implications has now become the symbolic 3 legs of the stool, where if any one of these parts falls down, the whole falls.
The very concept of sustainability is complex and multi-faceted. The golf industry can have an impact on these 3 legs of the stool through our activities in golf course development, course management and tournament organization but also merchandising, equipment performance and many other domains. Issues such as resource use, habitats, wildlife conservation, wellness, equity, waste management, golfer expectations, and more must be given attention but it’s unlikely that everything can be given the same weight of consideration. Therefore, sustainable development is a goal but a 100% state of sustainability is perhaps never completely attainable.
Nevertheless, all stakeholders in the golf industry share a responsibility to do what they can in their area of specialty to best resolve the needs of each of these areas. As golf course architects, this “sustainability philosophy” is (or should be) fundamental to our design approach. In other words, we must find the solution which produces minimal environmental impact, is economically viable and also respectful, even beneficial to the community and ultimately provides golf for the future. To do this well, it is important that we keep up to date with advances in knowledge and technology so that our designs and approaches evolve as we become better informed.
Golf courses will have negative impacts but, can also offer positive impacts. We can therefore talk about the footprint (negative impact) and the handprint (positive impact).The goal of sustainability in golf course design could perhaps be defined as a built environment that will have a net positive impact in the foreseeable future, whether this is measured as carbon or in other units. So a bigger handprint than footprint. But how can we do this?
Maybe we can start by asking some questions. For example, with regard to environment, does the golf course have more or less biodiversity of flora and fauna than before the development or renovation? Are there more native species present? Is the water on-site and downstream of a better quality than before? In consideration of economics, are we making decisions that will reduce long-term dependence on costly resources like water, fuel, chemicals and therefore the operating expenses of a golf course? From the social equality and community standpoint, are we designing our golf courses for many different users or only a select few? Will the local community also benefit from this development? The degree of sustainability of a project resides in the answers to these questions and others relating to environment, equity, and economics.
The “sustainability of our profession” depends upon the continued public acceptance and support of golf courses (and, more generally, the game of golf). The urgency of this consideration is intensified by the reality and visibility of the destructive effects of climate change which are occurring across the globe. In light of this, how prepared are we to justify our golf course designs and explain the benefits of the game and its playing fields to skeptical non-users? We must be able to reasonably justify our work to non-golfers and policymakers and make our work and the game more compelling, in essence to demonstrate the net positivity of our work.
In order to give our profession the tools needed to fulfill this challenge, we believe it’s important to promote the EIGCA Sustainability Program, since the program is designed to do exactly this – to further our shared understanding of what sustainable design is in golf course architecture, putting it into practice, and communicating this within the membership, within the golf industry and perhaps even more importantly to the general golfing and non-golfing public.
The opportunity presented to our profession by the practice of sustainable design is enormous. We, as golf course designers, are entrusted with large tracts of land that are capable of helping to solve one of the most pressing global problems of our time while also creating public benefit. This is an exciting time to be a golf course architect and to set a new trajectory for an ancient game.
Once again, we welcome your comments and feedback to continue the conversation.