By Mitchell
Sweetwater Springs Golf Resort
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Our group, after taking a look at the trends of golf sustainability and climate change, set out to create an eco-friendly golf course.
How is this possible? Well first off, what is golf course sustainability? The idea is that within club and facility budgets, to create and manage dry, firm and airy turf on a golf course populated by grasses that require the least chemicals, fertilizer and water for maintenance. This means less waste and reduced risk of polluting the environment.
Why is this important? Because using unnatural chemicals as fertilizer is bad for the environment, and in addition, the cost of maintaining a golf course in this way is becoming increasingly high in a competitive market. A sustainable approach takes into account both environmental and economic factors while continuing to aim for high quality playing surfaces.
Okay, we are sold on the idea of sustainability, but how can we achieve this? Here are 7 key points that Sweetwater has in maintaining an environmentally friendly golf course;
We rely on a ton of water to irrigate the approximately 7,000 yds of grass.
How can we do so in a sustainable manner?
To water the vast amount of grass for the golf course, we would implement a smart irrigation system, more work specifically, weather-based-irrigation-controllers to reduce the runoff of water used during rainy seasons. Not only does this save a significant amount of money, but it would save electricity used to power the sprinkler system and require less water to operate due to the service comprehending the amount of precipitation fall. This system is highly efficient for Vancouver weather. To supply the system we would recycle water from our ponds and rivers that are mainly used as hazards for each hole.
We would plant tons of trees control the temperature
To regulate temperatures and reduce air pollutants, we would plant trees in between each course to space out and provide a natural barrier to guide the golfers along. Of course we would plant the trees with enough leeway to avoid competition for nutrients and water. Along with being a great resource for the golf course as a whole, the beautiful scenery of the trees also provide a food source for animals and birds, as well as shelter. A big problem that many other courses face the use of fertilizer and the effect it has on the environment. The thing is that the fertilizers would pump tons of nitrogens into the soil, which is fine for the grass but it’s not that great for the rest of the wildlife. So for that we would plant nitrogen fixing plants such as Alder trees.
While golfing you are always surrounded by nature and getting exercise, which has been proven to improve mental and physical health
Golfing generally is not called a sport and more of a leisure activity but that doesn’t mean it has no benefits. Being out in nature has been associated with reduced levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. It has also been proven to increase capacity to engage socially and improve self esteem. I can just say from personal experience that I am always in a great mood after a round. The golf course is a place to escape everything going on with the real world and it’s a place to put away your phone and enjoy the conversation or the view. And there is plenty of nature and living things on our golf course. Whether it’s the water features or the trees bordering every hole or even the many animals that call our golf course home such as coyotes and deer. You will never get tired of our beautiful views and exquisite scenery.
We would use recycled materials to make the flags and sign posts.
We are so committed to making the most eco-friendly golf course we can that even our posts and flags are all made of recycled materials. The flag poles and signposts are all made of recycled plastic bottles. The flag itself is also made of recycled bottles. Our yardage markers are made of scraped wood from the lumber yard. The same goes for our tee box markers. These are the little things that the human eye wouldn’t be able to pick up but can make all the difference in making our course the most eco-friendly we can make it.
We would use as many local ingredients as we can for the food in our lounge, “Restaurant St. Rocher”.
All golf courses have food lounges, but how is ours different from anywhere else? Well, first off, all of our produce, from our Chicken to our Bean Sprouts are bought from the local farmers market. But what benefits are there to buying local? For many of reasons. First off choosing fresh and delicious local food helps to create jobs and supports our economic growth in Vancouver. It also builds a strong sense of community by supporting Vancouver’s farmers and businesses. Every time you buy local, you make a positive impact. Secondly, buying local also means your food comes from closer to home, and the closer, the fresher. Also, adding nutritious foods, fruits, and vegetables to your diet can help contribute to a healthier lifestyle. These are just a couple of the many reasons to buy local. Additionally, our food never touches any antibiotics or pesticides of any sort. We use 100% fresh ingredients to ensure proper health to all of our members.
We would have a “no waste” policy.
No waste? How is this possible? Well, it all starts with the restaurant. All of our dishes, cups and cutlery would be made out of reusable plant materials, that would be hand washed every time before they get plated. Also, our napkins would be reusable as well. Just pop those bad boys in the washing machine, bada bing bada boom, brand spanking new. All of the food waste from the kitchen would go into our compost bins. There, using oxygen, it breaks down and decomposes, and what soil remains, we use as fertilizer for all of our gardening needs. Secondly, Sweetwater Springs is a plastic bottle free zone. All plastic bottles including plastic Gatorade bottles, plastic water bottles, and plastic milk jugs are prohibited. And finally, as you can see, the golf resort does not have a parking lot. This is because we encourage our members and guests to bike, walk or take transit to the golf course. All these simple steps help us create an eco-friendly environment and helps build towards our goal of golf sustainability.
All our vehicles run completely on electricity
That’s right. All of our vehicles, including all golf carts, beverage carts, and course maintenance tractors run completely on electricity. We charge our vehicles using solar panels that work by allowing photons, or particles of light, to knock electrons free from atoms, generating a flow of electricity. Solar panels actually comprise many, smaller units called photovoltaic cells. (Photovoltaic means they convert sunlight into electricity.) But is electricity really better than gas? Well, studies show that electric cars do not produce near as much greenhouse gases than diesel or gasoline run automobiles. These gases trap the sun’s warmth in Earth’s lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface, and is a major cause of global warming; so yes, electric cars are much better for the environment than diesel or gasoline run cars. The batteries are ion-lithium batteries that contain 85kWh packs. 44 of these packs would include a total 7,104 cells. The ion-lithium would be compatible with the solar energy we use to charge them. The batteries would last for around 480,000km before it loses only 95% of its original energy capacity. We can team up with Umicore, which is the first company that has been able to use a fully functional closed loop recycling system. Umicore factory plants are able to recycle the batteries into completely reusable materials which substantially reduces the carbon footprint of manufacturing Lithium-ion. The harm of creating new lithium ion batteries is the amount of nickel and other resources that is used to make new batteries.
Now that you know what our sustainable, environmentally friendly golf course looks like, you can sign up to be a member at www.vancouvergolf.bc.ca/sweetwatersprings/register
Thank you for your time and enjoy the rest of your day
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SAMPLE MENU
“Restaurant St. Rocher”
Bowls
-On Rice $16*, On Noodles $18*
Energy
Coconut Curry, Tuna, Bean Sprouts, Radish, Cucumber, Red Peppers, Carrots
Teriyaki
Teriyaki Sauce, Chicken, Sesame Seeds, Bean Sprouts, Steamed Broccoli.
St. Rocher Burger $15*
Free Range grass fed beef burger, farm lettuce, tomato, gluten free brioche bun with chefs secret sauce.
Carbonara $18*
Penne, locally farmed onion, BC bacon and Parmesan cheese.
House Salad $10*
Romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, artichoke hearts, red onions, tomatoes and pimentos with house sauce
*Premium members at free
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CITINGS
https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/storms/trees-affect-weather1.htm
https://www.hydropoint.com/what-is-smart-irrigation/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/smart-irrigation-a-superc/
http://www.dictionary.com Morgan, Stephen Santos, Jaskaran Ghag, and Charlie Wilson