Walking on as the single of a tee time last week, my playing partners saw my collegiate golf bag and asked what I studied. I replied, “My bachelor’s degree was in environmental science and –.”
Before I could complete my sentence, I was interrupted about the existence of climate change, followed by their abrupt reply to their own question that it doesn’t exist. There to sharpen my golf game and not to debate, I smiled, teed up and drove it down the middle of the fairway with a five-yard draw.
Denial of an environmental crisis that will drastically alter the game of golf is concerning. In past years, I’ve re-phrased to “sustainability” to avoid the immediate verbal shutdown, but it is time to talk about the taboo topic in the golf industry: climate change.
Climate change is already a financial burden for golf course managers throughout the United States. Some golfers may be skeptical of its harm, but Wall Street and insurance companies are not.
If the top American insurers and businesses are being proactive to avoid the financial downsides of climate catastrophes, golf course managers should be getting proactive too.
In interviewing general managers and superintendents of plans to adapt their course to annual temperature increase and drought in Southern California, some had clear transitions to improve management practices, while others disregarded the climate crisis and had no plans to adapt. Planning for changes in the average weather patterns is an essential expense for the long-term productivity of golf courses around the U.S.
The impact of anthropogenic climate change can vary from intense flooding to wildfires to drought – all economic harms for golf courses. The golf industry must consider the following adaptations now:
GMs, superintendents and club members can benefit financially in the long term as they take the initiative on climate action. Planning ahead can actually save money for other course amenities, including improved pro shop merchandise, tournaments, food and beverages, efficient POS systems and more avenues to enhance the golfing experience. Better yet, a course that institutes adaptations to climate change can also earn the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf certification, “a comprehensive modern certification, developed to the highest credibility standard, to help golf facilities, developments and tournaments demonstrate and be recognized for their environmental and social responsibility.” This will gain attraction from the golf community and manufacturers as it signifies the course’s efforts in climate action and environmental stewardship. The GEO Foundation emphasizes that it is possible and necessary for golf and nature to coexist. The Foundation highlights the eco-friendly advancements and success stories of courses worldwide, which the American golf industry can utilize for guidance in its sustainability journey.
Just like how courses adapted to stay afloat during the pandemic, they can and should adapt now to the rapid threats of climate change. Climate adaptations for golf courses will become more expensive as they are delayed. All these steps are a process; however, the collective action of golf course managers and the community is the first step to prolonged productivity of their course.
Golf is an opportunistic sport that one can play and learn from for a lifetime. My grandpa put a club in my hands at age three, and now twenty years later, I continue to play golf competitively and watch other junior golfers experience the same joys of this humbling sport. Laura Wilkinson Sinton, a sustainability and environmental non-profit leader, voiced to me that “We have to be good ancestors.” And to be the “good ones”, we must get started, and quickly, on climate adaptations to sustain our courses, our industry and the next generation of golfers.
Hannah Jugar graduated from the University of Redlands with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a minor in Spatial Studies. She has a background in climate science, botany (CA Floristic Province), habitat mensuration, ecology and geographic information systems (GIS). Hannah was the captain of the Redlands Women's golf team, 4x WGCA All-American, the recipient of the 2023 Roger Tomlinson Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Geographic Information Systems, and the 2023 Frank Serrao Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She is an ecologist specializing in GIS, compliance monitoring and fieldwork. Hannah will begin a Master of Science in Geographic Information Science at CSU Long Beach State University in Fall 2024 while competing on the LBSU Women's Golf Team.