Is golf an innocent hobby and simply a way to have fun and socialize in the great outdoors?
Or does the sport's devastating environmental impact outweigh its benefits due to habitat loss and water waste?
In a viral video, TikToker molesrcool (@molesrcool) shared his perspective on why it's time to rethink golf courses and society's traditional ideas about lawn care.
@molesrcool why it's time for golf courses (and golf) to go bye bye #golf #climatechange #golfcourses #lawncare #nativeplants #climatecrisis #arizona #drought #globalwarming ♬ Yacht Club - MusicBox
He first explains the impacts of building golf courses, saying: "They destroy any habitat that was here, which often includes deforestation."
"But instead of building something useful like affordable housing or a public park, they build essentially a giant board game for rich people," the TikToker said.
Then, the creator delved into all the water that golf courses require, giving the example that the average Arizona golf course uses 450,000 gallons of water per day despite rising temperatures, worsening drought conditions, and the fact that Phoenix may not have enough water to get through the next 100 years.
According to the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, golf courses took up an estimated 2,244,512 acres of land as of 2007. There was a record number of people, 3.4 million, who played golf on a course for the first time in 2023. Climate activists have even plugged holes on golf courses with seedlings to draw attention to the amount of water, pesticides, and other resources used.
On the other hand, defunct golf courses are now getting second lives and being rewilded to transform into native wildlife habitats.
The TikToker isn't alone in his belief that golf courses aren't good for the planet.
"I used to work in the turf care industry, and it is a complete waste of time and resources," a TikTok user shared in the comments.
"A golf course with a natural landscape would be more fun and challenging," suggested one commenter.
Another TikToker wrote: "As a golfer, would love to see a law requiring a % of the course to be native plants."
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