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| A person playing golf. Image credit: Courtney Cook via Unsplash |
Before I visited Goa, I had never thought about golf courses as an environmental threat. However, a village walk in Goa opened my eyes. I was taking a heritage walk in the tiny village of Tiracol when I learned how, for years, the residents have been fighting a major company planning to build a world-class golf course and resort in the area. The place was still quite untouched with wild vegetation, rich animal life, gorgeous uncrowded beaches, and mysterious caves. All that would change if the villagers lost the fight.
Returning home, I started reading about the environmental impact of golf courses. It was huge!
I learned that golf courses are becoming a bigger environmental threat with time. This is primarily because golf, a sport previously confined to a small proportion of elites, is now becoming more accessible to the larger population, especially in fast-developing countries with growing incomes like India. While that might be a reason to celebrate in terms of achieving social equality, it is not good news for environmental security.
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| Aerial view of a massive golf course. Image credit: via Unsplash.com |
I further went through research articles on why golf courses might cause harm to the environment. Here are some of the reasons:
Golf Courses Are Water Guzzlers
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| Water sprinklers irrigating a golf course. Image credit: Muhammed Zahid Bulut via Pexels.com |
Golf courses are water guzzlers. They consume vast volumes of water, which is often extracted from nearby water bodies or groundwater. The water is used to irrigate the course. Thus, they deplete natural water systems and create an imbalance. For example, when golf courses near the coast exploit groundwater resources, the water level in underground aquifers might drop below normal, allowing saline waters from the sea to invade the aquifer and damage the overall water quality. Surrounding communities who depend on such water for survival will thus suffer.
Golf Courses Cause Habitat And Biodiversity Loss
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| A golf course fragmenting a forested habitat. |
Golf courses cause habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation. They require vast space—an 18-hole golf course demands around 125 to 175 acres! Wildlife habitats are already under great exploitation pressure in India, where the population is so high. There is little space in the country's tightly packed cities and towns to create new golf courses. Thus, it is pretty understandable that the creation of new golf courses would mean destroying existing wildlife habitats while causing permanent damage to existing ecosystems.
Use Of Chemicals Cause Pollution
The use of pesticides and fertilizers causes soil and water pollution. Golf courses need these chemicals to maintain the quality of the grass. However, the substances ultimately integrate with the environment by mixing with the soil. They also enter ground and surface water with run-off water from the golf course. Ultimately, they enter living systems like ourselves through food and water, causing health issues. They also induce eutrophication of water bodies, making them unsuitable to sustain life. Studies conducted to measure pesticide concentration in water sources near golf courses have shown pesticide concentrations higher than permissible levels.
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| A golf course in a mountain ecosystem replacing the native vegetation of the area. Image credit: Dan Congdon via Unsplash.com |
Golf came to India during British rule. In 1829, the colonisers established the first golf course in India (also the first one outside the United Kingdom), the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in Kolkata. For years, access to golf remained limited to the elite sections of the society. It did not become a sport of the masses.
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| A golf course in Himachal Pradesh. Image credit: Adam Jones via Flickr.com. |
Today, news reports state how golf is becoming more popular in India. With more disposable incomes and changing lifestyles inclined towards Westernisation, Indians are taking a greater interest in golf. Young corporate professionals are becoming the new-age golfers. Golf tourism is also increasing, with the mountains, forested areas, and the coast becoming sought-after venues for setting up golf courses. All these are fragile natural ecosystems already burdened by a multitude of threats.
It is not bad for a sport to become popular, especially one that benefits the mental and physical health of the players and spectators. However, in the case of golf, one needs to consider the greater good of the population. Since golf courses have such negative environmental impacts, they are detrimental to the health and well-being of the human population and other species as well.
Little research has been conducted on the environmental impact of golf courses in India. Future decisions on golf course creation should be based on data from scientific research. Else, it will be too late.
For further reading about the issue:
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