Justin Timberlake Leads the Greening of Golf Courses
Justin Timberlake, celebrity golf course owner. Credit: Jeff Gross, Getty Images
A new study done in Sweden shows that the ponds found on golf courses can actually be very hospitable for wetland critters. In fact, they're better than regular ponds for the great crested newt, a protected endangered species. And there is even a type of dragon fly that you can only find in golf course ponds!
Besides the ponds, which apparently are more than chemical stews of frog hormone disrupters, the study also showed that most courses have surprisingly large areas of natural habitat for wildlife, since there can be up to 70% of non-play area. In urban areas, where there is little green space at all, a golf course could be the best opportunity for wildlife to find a place to nest.
Besides believing that they're bad for animals, my first thought with golf courses is usually that they're resource hogs. But Justin Timberlake's Mirimichi Golf Course in Tennessee is amazingly eco-friendly, and sets an example for just how environmentally responsible a golf course can be.
The clubhouse is platinum LEED certified. They use rainwater for irrigation and drainage. In addition to native grasses, the design has more lake areas than usual, plus recirculating streams, to support wildlife.
Mirimichi is also the nation's first golf course to receive "Audubon Classic Sanctuary" certification from Audubon International.
Even golf equipment is getting greener! The Discovery Channel did a Green Gadgets video on golf gear featuring Cruise Cars, solar powered electric golf carts, water-soluble golf balls, and 100% biodegradeable golf tees made from corn, which save over 100,000 trees a year.
I'm not about to start golfing myself, but all of this does mean that I will stop scowling whenever I go by a golf course.
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