“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

The public perspective of golf is often negative with regard to its environmental impact, whether it is justified or not. The truth of the matter is that golf course management has generally had plenty of negative impacts on the environment and negative interactions with environmental advocates to justify some of those public beliefs. However not all golf courses are alike, with some courses leading the way in sustainability efforts, like Goat Hill Park in Oceanside, CA and their adoption and support of thriving pollinator program, growing wildflowers in out-of-play areas and creating an apiary to host many of the bee colonies that make Goat Hill their home.

There are multiple environmental stewardship certification initiatives and organizations integrating best management practices that include sustainability efforts. However, none that I have found have been able to holistically assess the economic, environmental, social, cultural, and golf-related factors of a golf facility’s impact. In my efforts to create an algorithm to calculate a holistic sustainability score for golf courses, which I have termed the Greener Golf Index, I have identified over 900 measurable factors to include in that calculation. The result is progress towards an evidence-based answer to whether or not the golf course in question is a responsible steward of the land and its larger ecosystem.

While the Greener Golf Index is a powerful tool in a golf course management toolbox, there are also simpler short-hand tools that can elegantly demonstrate the sustainability of a land use, specifically a golf course. Being an indicator species for environmental health, the presence of strong and thriving bees in a given location is a good indicator of the environmental health of that area as a whole. Simply put; their presence means that the area is favorable to life.

So, a key practice I use in my work as a sustainability consultant in the golf industry is to analyze the health of bees and identify simple and mutually-beneficial ways to support them. Establishing a beekeeping program at a golf facility provides opportunities to examine and closely monitor the environmental health of a golf course over time.

I refer to beekeeping programs on golf courses as the “Trojan Horse” of environmental stewardship. Many golfers understand the importance of bees so they support programs to help bees at golf courses. And because golfers support bee health, golf course superintendents are more inclined to consider bees in their management decisions, thus adding another layer of concern when selecting products to apply on the golf course and therefore likely reducing the use of harmful chemicals, which is safer for bees and most likely for humans as well. 

Additionally, pollinators and bees need forage (flowers) as their source of nutrition. If a golf course manager recognizes the interest of their golfing community as supporters of bees, they will make space for wildflowers and pollinator habitat on the course. This process shrinks the footprint of the turf managed for play and therefore reduces the need for irrigation, fertilization, and other applications of those areas, another step toward better environmental stewardship. 

Beekeeping is a mix of art and science, just like golf. It requires a calmness and mindfulness and an understanding of the conditions in order to make the best decision possible. If you move too fast when in a beehive, the bees will notify you of your error (ouch), and we, as golfers, know what happens in golf when the tempo of the golf swing is off (fore right!).

There are significant lessons we can learn from bees that are applicable to the golf course. Bees do no harm unless threatened. The daily activities of bees’ lives help other species reproduce and prosper, so their mere presence brings about a cascade of positive impacts. Imagine if a human’s life had solely positive impacts, or at least net positive impacts. Then we would truly be the change we wish to see in the world. Golf has the opportunity to promote the cascade of positive impacts, and I think the best place to start is by supporting bees.

If you look at beekeeping on a golf course from a monetary perspective it doesn’t make sense, however if you look at it from a value-generating perspective, there are few other activities that compare. Besides revenue potential from infrequent honey production, there are not many other revenue generating opportunities for beekeeping, and the costs associated with maintaining an apiary often outweigh the profits.

The indirect effects of beekeeping create value that is hard to ignore with the increase in environmental stewardship potential, the reduction in potentially harmful chemicals, the increase in wildflower areas and resulting decrease in turfgrass area and water use, the educational opportunities and community engagement potential, and simply the example that bees provide as selfless, purely democratic (not a monarchy as often assumed), hard-working, and compassionate beings.

It is because of these ripple effects that beekeeping and pollinator programs are integral components of the mission and focus of the sustainability work of Greener Golf. If you would like to learn other sustainability efforts or more about bees and how they can enhance your golf operation or how you can be involved in supporting pollinators in your area, please feel free to reach out to me to start a conversation. I look forward to it and wish you a happy Earth Day.

All photos are courtesy of Greener Golf, LLC