Golf gets a bad rap. The sport has a reputation for being too expensive and too resource-intensive, which are true in some cases. There are private clubs so expensive you need to be a billionaire to join, and courses where the landscape was bulldozed to make way for overwatered and overfertilized fairways.
But not every golf course is that way.
A movement is afoot to make golf more accessible and sustainable. How do I know? I’m an avid golfer. I play twice a week, mostly on public courses that are cheap and built over repurposed farmland. Affordable golf is actually easy to find, but better yet is the sustainability movement that’s creeping into destination courses.
“The golf industry has made tremendous strides in the area of sustainability over the past 20 to 30 years,” says Frank LaVardera, director of environmental programs in golf for Audubon International, which operates America’s first and most comprehensive green-golf-course certification program. “Traditional courses use a significant amount of water and chemicals, but many courses are reducing their amount of managed turf”—the manicured lawns that require so much water and fertilizer—“and creating native areas that require less water, while enhancing wildlife habitat.”
What an Eco-Conscious Golf Course Means
Audubon International’s certification process can take years, and requires evaluation of a course’s impact on wildlife habitat, water quality and conservation, pest management, and energy efficiency. In turn, eco-minded course managers reduce the amount of turf, use recycled gray water to irrigate, emphasize walking over use of gas-powered carts, and create wildlife habitats with natural grasses and trees that attract birds, bees, and even the occasional bear. Since 2001, when the program was introduced, Audubon’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf has grown to include more than 2,000 certified courses in the U.S. and beyond.
The timing of this sustainability movement couldn’t be better, as America has rediscovered its love of golf. According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF), 3.4 million new people played golf in America last year. Each of the past 10 years saw more than 2 million beginners, with the past four topping 3 million.
Golf’s Changing Demographics
The NGF reports that since the pandemic era, women and people of color have been flocking to the game; the biggest demographic jump has come from traditionally under-represented populations, with the number of Asian, Black and Hispanic golfers rising by 43 percent in the last five years. Of the 26 million people who play golf recreationally, 23 percent are people of color and 26 percent are women.
The demographic makeup of the Professional Golf Association (PGA) is still skewed (80 percent of pro golfers are white), but the game is changing from the ground up as recreational players trend toward being younger and more diverse. The most sought-after clothing brands in the sport, like Malbon and Eastside Golf, bring streetwear aesthetics to the golf industry, while many prolific and successful golfers on social media are women and people of color. If you’re not following Roger Steele on Instagram, you should be.
Part of the issue with diversifying the outdoors is access. There were 480 ski resorts in operation last year, with most of them located in remote, mountainous regions. Compare that to the 16,000+ golf courses scattered all over the country. I live in a southeastern mountain town that is not known for its golf, but I can play on any of 10 courses situated within half an hour of my home. There are three courses within three miles of downtown, and I play on two of them for under $20 a round. A program called Youth On Course enables members aged 18 and under to play any of its 2,133 enrolled courses across the U.S. for just $5 a round.
My 15-year-old son is a YOC member, and able to play half a dozen courses within 10 miles of our home. He and I can walk nine holes of golf for $20 combined, $35 if we want to play 18.
Why I Love Golf
As for the argument that golf shouldn’t be considered an outdoor sport because of its environmental impact, most things we do leave footprints. I’ve been a dedicated skier since age 12, and I don’t love the fact that the ski industry has gotten cartoonishly expensive and is resource-intensive, especially in water use. But I do love skiing. I have the same relationship with golf. It’s not perfect, but I love it.
This surprises people because I make a living writing about adventure sports, and I have the scars and expensive-gear habit to prove it. People assume golf and surfing or mountain biking are a world apart, but look closely in my garage and you’ll see a set of golf clubs tucked between my mountain bike and longboard.
When I play, I always walk, carry my bag, and try not to focus too much on my score. It’s a slow, meditative walk in the woods. I like the challenge of golf as well. I recently picked the sport up again after a 20-year-hiatus, and I’m consumed with the pursuit of getting better, but I also know that I’ll never master golf. No matter how good I get at hitting a little white ball in the air, there will always be room for improvement.
Golf is cerebral and thought-provoking in a way that the other fast-paced sports I love are not. The game is 99.99 percent mental, allowing me to see how my thoughts impact my actions. Golf is a chance to clear your head and be outside.
Fortunately, there are certain destinations where golf and adventure go hand in hand. Some of the most sustainable golf courses in America are located in places that could be on any adventure-traveler’s radar, so you can play 18 holes one afternoon and go mountain biking or surfing the next morning.
Here are nine of the wildest, most sustainable golf courses in the world, each paired with a local adventure to round out the perfect weekend.
To learn more about these courses, read the full article HERE
1. Bear Trace, Harrison, TennesseeFees: Starting at $41 for 18 holes
2. Big Cedar Lodge, Ridgedale, MissouriFees: Starting from $80 for the 13-hole short course
3. Streamsong Golf Resort, Bowling Green, FloridaFees: Starting at $249 for 18 holes
4. Chambers Bay, University Place, WashingtonFees: Starting at $85 for 18 holes
5. Black Desert Resort, Ivins, UtahFees: Starting at $300 for 18 holes
6. The Mountain Course at Spruce Peak, Stowe, VermontFees: Starting at $165 for 18, and you need to stay at The Lodge at Spruce Peak to play (rooms start at $249).
7. Bandon Dunes, Bandon, OregonFees: From $50 for the par 3 course
8. The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, ColoradoFees: Starting at $110 for 18 holes
9. Rising Sun Golf Course, Emigrant, MontanaFees: Greens fees are included in the cost of your stay (one week minimum, and you must contact the resort for pricing).