How to Have an Eco-Friendly Golf Course? 02:30, 15/08/2022

Keeping up with the current sustainable development trend, many places around the world have been making positive changes to build environmentally friendly golf courses.

Who doesn’t love playing on a golf course with beautiful, natural scenery? Playing on a golf course that is rich in flora and fauna elevates a players experience and is often a major criterion in deciding which club to play at.

However, if you do not know how to preserve and protect, golf courses can also cause negative impacts on the environment. So how to create an eco-friendly golf course?

Increase the biodiversity of the golf course

The golf course is the habitat of many different species of flora and fauna. Therefore, golf courses need to focus on developing and maintaining the biodiversity of the natural environment. In order to achieve success, one important rule must be respected at all times: designate large natural spaces that will allow your fauna and flora to flourish and that is protected from human interference.

Densely wooded areas near your course provide excellent shelter for any animal species that exists in your region. These areas should be reserved entirely for natural life and you should do whatever possible to minimize the human impact on them.

In a similar vein, try to reduce the areas that are mowed to encourage the expansion of natural vegetation. The expansion of natural vegetation will promote the growth of trees and other natural areas essential for wildlife protection.

Limit the use of pesticides

In order to see success in your eco-friendly plan, you must also limit the use of pesticides at your facility and carefully select other garden care products that are not harmful to the environment. Opt for more organic pesticides and avoid the use of toxic fertilizers. Alternatively, you can invest in planting naturally pest-resistant grasses to ultimately save on maintenance costs long term.

Reduce water usage

Optimizing irrigation systems is essential to ameliorating the negative impact on the environment. Aim to use recycled water from water treatment plants or install an on-site rainwater harvesting system to collect additional water.

A simpler way to reduce water usage is to use more efficient sprinkler heads. This can improve watering while also limiting the amount of water being used. Similar to investing in pest-resistant vegetation, an investment in better sprinkler heads will allow you to lower your management costs and help improve your image for years to come.

Invest in better waste management

Waste management is also an important part of becoming eco-friendly. Ensure that you recycle the waste generated on your property properly and avoid using materials such as polystyrene that is difficult to recycle. Coordinate with your local municipality on how you can dispose of your waste in a less harmful way.

Additionally, you can place compost bins around your restaurant to reduce the amount of waste produced by your restaurant and use that compost for your green spaces.

Laguna Lang Co: A prime example of an eco-friendly golf course

As the first design of British legend Nick Faldo in Vietnam, Laguna Lang Co (Thua Thien Hue) twice won the EarthCheck’s “Gold Certification” in 2019 and 2021. Previously, Laguna Lang Co achieved “Bronze Certification” in 2015, 3 times in a row awarded the “Silver Certification” from 2016 to 2018.

By achieving Gold Certification from EarthCheck, Laguna Golf Lang Co has reaffirmed its position as one of the most sustainable golf courses in Asia. EarthCheck is the world's leading scientific assessment and certification organization for sustainable tourism, including commitments to emissions, energy, water, waste and social impacts.

With initiatives including eliminating single-use plastic, sustainable design with interwoven rice fields tended by water buffaloes, Laguna Lang Co is a pioneer in the movement for a Vietnam golf industry greener, more sustainable.

Other green initiatives at the resort include: a tree planting program to increase tree cover for local unused land and provide a stable source of income for disadvantaged families in Lang Co.