Program on the Environment

Golf courses cover thousands of acres across the United States and often have the characteristics of “green deserts,” with intensive water use, heavy chemical inputs, and limited ecological function. Yet these expansive landscapes represent a unique opportunity: they already exist as large, well-maintained green spaces that could be opened to nearby communities, providing immediate public access to nature without the need to build new infrastructure. The purpose of this study was to explore how golf courses can implement sustainable management practices while enhancing community access. To address this, I completed an internship with the Friends of the Port Townsend/Camas Prairie Park, working directly with greenskeepers, board members, and members from the Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS). Through meetings, field observations, and discussions with stakeholders, I developed a Sustainability Management Plan (SMP) with 2-, 5-, and 10-year goals and conducted GIS mapping to document and compare native and non-native plant coverage. From these interactions, results indicated that phased sustainability planning increased stakeholder support and willingness to implement changes. Incorporating community access into the plan strengthened this support by reframing the course as a shared public resource rather than an exclusive space. Adopting practices such as reducing irrigation, managing fertilizers, and increasing native plant coverage can enhance biodiversity and strengthen ecosystem health. These findings highlight how golf courses can serve as multifunctional community green spaces while contributing to conservation efforts. By focusing on adaptive management and inclusive access, courses can transition from resource-intensive, exclusive landscapes to models of sustainable, community-centered land use.