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Environmental Initiative for Australian Golf Courses

The Australian Golf Industry plays a significant role in society with an estimated 34 million rounds of golf played annually in both rural and metropolitan areas. The industry is administered by a number of bodies which oversee the development of the game from social golf, junior through to elite competition, and the presentation and maintenance of the playing surfaces and surrounding area. 

Golf courses often occupy significant tracts of urban land that may be in ecologically sensitive areas and provide a number of benefits to the community and the environment including: recreation, tourism, green space, wildlife refuges and corridors, remnant vegetation and indigenous flora reserves.

Golf course management is an intensive form of horticulture and requires moderate levels of inputs in order to sustain the quality of the golfing surfaces. High quality turf requires a constant, good quality water supply; moderate nutrient levels; applications of pesticides; and energy inputs in operating machinery, pump stations and facilities.  All this often occurs in environmentally sensitive locations where the golf course operation not only has to manage the turf but also native flora and fauna, waterways, wetlands and soils.

Golf course management has become a high tech-industry, with an increasing range of new technologies available to assist golf courses in becoming more eco–efficient. The rapid adoption of new technologies and new practices has led to a greater understanding of potential environmental impacts. 

Environmental responsibility is a core value of the Australian Golf Industry and it recognizes the important role that it plays in maintaining golf courses in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner.

The Environmental Initiative is recognition by the golf industry of its environmental responsibilities and its commitment to improving environmental management.

Through the Environmental Initiative the golf industry is committing to environmental excellence by:

1. Integrating environmental factors into its business decisions.

2. Striving to meet and, where appropriate, exceed the requirements of all relevant legislation, regulations and other requirements to which the industry subscribes.

3. Developing and maintaining the AGCSA’s Golf Environmental Management Strategy that distinguishes the Australian Golfing Industry as the world leader in environmental management.

4. Encouraging commitment to the environment through training and awareness programs.

5. Constantly striving to achieve continual improvement and the prevention of pollution in the environmental performance of golf courses.

6. Promoting water management strategies to all members.

7. Continuing to support and further enhance integrated pest management strategies.

8. Setting environmental objectives and targets and assessing the golf industries achievements.

9. Encouraging a similar environmental commitment from material suppliers and contractors.

10. Annually reviewing the Environmental Initiative and to communicate it to all members of the Australian Golf Industry and the public.

Our long term objectives with the Environmental Initiative are;

1. To become a self regulatory industry  that will audit and track environmental progress.

2. To  establish a Golf Environment Foundation that will fund environmental research and  provide support to Golf Courses throughout Australia in building and managing their environmental management system.