Issues regarding eco-friendly golf continue. Accordingly, several domestic golf courses have received overseas certification as an eco-friendly mark. We looked into eco-friendly trends in the domestic golf course and equipment market.
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There is still no separate eco-friendly golf course certification system in Korea. However, the Ministry of Environment is responding to environmental issues through various surveys, such as announcing the results of a survey on the use of pesticides at golf courses nationwide. The Ministry of Environment and the National Institute of Environmental Research recently announced the results of a survey on pesticide use at 555 golf courses nationwide in 2022.
Jeju’s Eco Land GC was found to have managed its golf course in an eco-friendly manner without using pesticides for the second consecutive year in 2021. The same goes for the Uiryeong eco-friendly golf course in Gyeongnam. Eden CC, Lake Hills Jeju CC, and Cheonryong CC were confirmed as low-use pesticide golf courses for three consecutive years. Golf courses that do not use pesticides or use low pesticides plant Joseon grass, a warm-season grass that grows well in Korea, on the fairways or use natural plant protectants to reduce pesticide use. It is also said that efforts were made to improve grass growth conditions by conducting regular air circulation work.
As interest in eco-friendliness increases in the Jeju region, an eco-friendly golf course certification system is being introduced for the first time in the country by local governments. Specifically, it is an attempt to manage eco-friendly golf courses by creating evaluation indicators based on domestic and international cases. In addition, 24 of Jeju Island’s 29 golf courses participated and signed an agreement for sustainable, eco-friendly golf course operation and management and regional coexistence. According to the agreement, the golf courses announced that they plan to cooperate by actively promoting the minimization of pesticide and groundwater use.
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Haesley is the first domestic golf course to be certified as eco-friendly.
As interest in eco-friendliness increases at overseas golf courses, an increasing number of golf courses are receiving eco-friendly certification through GEO in the UK. GEO is a certification organization that professionally evaluates the sustainability and environmental friendliness of golf courses around the world and certifies eco-friendly golf courses.
Haesley, operated by CJ, was the first in Korea to receive an ‘eco-friendly golf course’ certification from GEO in 2014. Afterwards, it received GEO recertification in 2017, 2020, and 2023. “Hasley continues to demonstrate great concern for environmental management through strong limits on habitat conservation and water management,” said Valentine Godin, who was in charge of the GEO certification process at the time in 2023.
Nine Bridges, operated by CJ, also received GEO certification for the first time in 2019 and again in 2022. It is said that Nine Bridges, located 500 meters above sea level on Hallasan Mountain, pursued GEO certification to receive global verification of the eco-friendliness pursued.
Currently, both Haesley and Nine Bridges maintain their certification marks until 2025, and must be re-certified in 2026 to maintain their certification.
Recently, it is the first public golf course to receive GEO certification. This is Shambhala CC in Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do. GEO International certification must successfully represent industry standard best practices and demonstrate a commitment to being a golf course with sustainability at its core.
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For GEO certification, three elements must be met:
GEO certification is accomplished according to the following procedures. First of all, it must meet the required certification standards for sustainable golf course operation. Afterwards, it must be verified and passed through an official third-party audit. Official third-party audits are conducted through independent verification agencies accredited by GEO.
Three elements are checked for verification. First, it is a natural element. This is how much wildlife habitat and biodiversity exist on the golf course. There are a total of 5,105 plant types in Jeju Nine Bridges, and it was evaluated that many habitats are preserved around the stream. Verification factors also include consideration of maintaining optimal turf and soil health and responsible chemical use. Since 2020, Shambhala CC has been certified to use liquid fertilizer containing four complex minerals, and the overall amount of fertilizer use has decreased.
The second is the use of resources. This is an investigation into whether efforts were made to maximize the efficiency of water and energy and to use them to a minimum. Haesley introduced local weather stations as water use increases due to climate change. Additionally, the waste recycling rate increased significantly to about 20%, receiving a positive score.
Lastly, contribution to the community is measured. These include volunteering and charity work, providing fair employment opportunities, and promoting sustainability. Shambhala CC was able to receive a certification mark as it was judged to have provided meaningful experiences to local residents by hosting a golf tournament for the disabled and a junior golf tournament.
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Golf equipment also affects the environment
The reason golf is said to be the main culprit of environmental pollution is not just because of the use of pesticides on golf courses. This includes items such as lost golf balls and golf tees. A photo of a seal at the bottom of the sea full of golf balls in front of Pebble Beach, California, USA, became a hot topic. Golf balls are made of materials such as urethane and can have negative effects if continuously left in nature. In Korea, even if a golf ball is lost, the government is said to have no obligation to dispose of the lost ball first until a complaint is received.
Not only golf balls but also golf tees have an impact on the environment. According to Kim Seung-rae, CEO of Samfactory, which produces upcycled golf tees, “Golf tees made of wood require felling of trees as raw materials. In the process, environmental problems already occur, and when the tee breaks, users end up throwing it away. This can be seen as a completely consumer product that is not recycled at all. “Because plastic golf tees are made using new synthetic plastics, they will cause the long-term problem of increasing the amount of plastic on the planet.”
Korean Air and OB Beer introduce eco-friendly golf goods. Fortunately, the number of golfers looking for eco-friendly products is gradually increasing after COVID-19. In particular, as interest in environmental protection increases among young golfers, eco-friendly consumption is becoming important. Demand for eco-friendly golf equipment is steadily increasing as more and more people are concerned about not only the quality of the product but also its impact on the environment.
Accordingly, various eco-friendly golf products are appearing. Korean Air launched upcycling goods made from recycled retired aircraft. This is a name tag made using materials from the process of dismantling the HL7721 aircraft and a Korean Air name tag Sam Factory golf tee golf ball marker. The colors of the goods are partially different depending on the part of the fuselage used.
OB Beer, in collaboration with Reharvest, a food upcycling company, released a malt powder golf tee made by upcycling beer waste. Renergy malt flour, which is upcycled from brewer’s meal (a by-product left after using malt), has been mainly used as an alternative flour in the food sector. OB Beer combined this with biodegradable plastic to create malt powder golf tees. Malt powder golf tees reduce plastic usage by 7% compared to regular golf tees, and are characterized by being 100% completely decomposed in nature within 6 months when landfilled. The packaging material is also made of eco-friendly recycled pulp paper, minimizing the impact on the environment.
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Idea golf products also released
Sam Factory’s upcycled golf tees are made from discarded bottle caps. There is no need to cut down the trees and they do not break. It also has the advantage of not increasing the total amount of plastic. In addition, Sam Factory produces various eco-friendly products such as name tags and ball markers using 3D printers. All products made through 3D printing are made using PLA, a biodegradable plastic made from corn starch. It is perfect for producing customized golf equipment in terms of small-scale production of a large variety of products rather than mass-production of a small variety of products.
BootOn produces eco-friendly golf balls by disassembling and remolding old golf balls to create new golf balls. FAR5 Eco Ball uses laser technology to disassemble collected old golf balls into raw materials, then recombine them to create new golf balls. A BootOn official said, “I was inspired by seeing Germany’s recycling system called the Pant system (the Pant system is Germany’s empty bottle recovery system). “In Europe, there is an active market for recycling and upcycling, and seeing that the resulting products are also perceived and accepted positively gave me an opportunity to think more deeply about eco-friendliness,” he said. Also, “Eco-friendly products are not yet leading the golf market.
“I hope that starting with these products, we will spread awareness of eco-friendly products and expand the range of choices for purchasing them,” he added.
How can individual golfers make a positive impact on the environment while enjoying their game?
1. What are some ways in which golf courses are working to become more environmentally friendly, and how can players contribute to this effort?
2. How do companies such as Korean Air and OB Beer promote eco-friendly practices through their golf equipment and products?
3. What challenges do eco-friendly golf equipment manufacturers face in terms of market acceptance and expansion?
4. Are there any other innovative eco-friendly golf products or initiatives that you have come across recently?
5. Can you discuss the potential impact of sustainable golf practices on the environment and community?
