Florida has more golf courses than any other state, more than 1,250. The average course ranges between 100 and 200 acres, thus we have anywhere from 125,000 to 250,000 acres of land devoted to the sport. For wildlife, golf courses present a mixed situation – both good and bad. Traditionally, the golf course has been one on the most highly managed landscapes in our communities exhibiting high fertilization, pesticide usage, mowing, and natural vegetation alteration. On the other hand, where there is a cognizance of the underlying natural land, habitat and environmental sensitivities a golf course can be one of the few areas within our suburbanized or urbanized areas where wildlife stand some chance of existing in relatively close proximity to us.
The difference in outcomes between a wildlife-desolate and a wildlife-friendly golf course is good planning, design and management and an understanding of natural flora and fauna and their particular needs. Nevertheless, a golf course is still a highly managed area of landscape intended for our recreation that is not natural or undisturbed. With so much of Florida developing we must look for our wildlife habitat maintenance opportunities and capitalize on the varying degrees of what this may mean.
Floridahabitat.org will explore and present information on good planning, design and maintenance of wildlife friendly golf course and how we can use these common community features to help weave functional wildlife habitat through our developed areas.
Read more about Golf Course Planning.
