Management of soil-water resources in golf courses

Water, soil, and turfgrass are the key elements in the environmental management of golf courses. All of them must be combined to create a modified ecosystem meeting the needs of the golf player. For several reasons, golf courses and golf itself are suffering from a misunderstanding and lack of a positive image in several European countries. Thus, the correct management and the wise use of natural resources, land, and water are nowadays paramount for the golf world. There are arguments about the amount of water used for golf course irrigation on the grounds of excess water resources employed, competition with other water uses, and the attitude of part of the public that considers golf as a sumptuary activity. Soil is also considered as a resource because golf courses use considerable amounts of land, for a limited amount of people, during the year. A discussion arises on whether land is modified in an irreversible way or not. Many times, the debate is not centred on the green areas, but on the built areas surrounding courses. Plants are the third element in a golf course, no less important, and the discussion in this case derives from the use of allochthonous species, usually consuming more water than the autochthonous ones.