FYI homeowners use 10 times more chemicals per acre than golf courses and farms. The quantities are just greater on the golf course and farm, because of the larger areas being covered. That is not an easy answer. My job is to assist golf courses look at what they are doing environmentally and take actions to become better stewards of their environment. But none of this will work without some changes in what the golfer expects to find when he comes to play golf.
Golf is a business, just like manufacturing a car is a business.
If Ford says that the only color we will paint cars is black, and you want a red car, you will go to someone who will give you a red car. It is the same with a golf course. If your golf course is using less fertilizer, chemicals and water than the course down the road, your course may not look as lush and green. Your course may not be as green and lush, there may be areas that are stressed and have weak turf. What we don't need is the government deciding that it can do a better job of running golf courses than the people who now do it.