To some in the golf industry, this suggests that golf courses are targeted for public criticism when there are far greater potential sources of danger lurking elsewhere. The country's 15,000 golf courses occupy a total area of about 2,500 square miles, an area about half the size of Connecticut. There are also 441,000 square miles of cultivated farmland in the United States where pesticide use, though regulated, is still commonplace. Leading golf bodies, such as the U.S. Golf Association and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, have undertaken major research and education efforts to make the game more environmentally friendly. Its studies demonstrate that where fertilizers and pesticides are properly selected and used, the environmental impact is minuscule.
Much additional work is now under way by the industry and at universities.
Efforts also are focused on developing organic turfgrass control products and drought-resistant grasses that would require less water. Course Architects also is educating the public and furthering expertise among its own ranks on these issues. The presumption among opponents of golf courses is that the existing land was pristine prior to golf course development. Yet many examples today belie this claim. Increasingly, golf courses are being planned as part of land reclamation in old mines or closed-down landfills.