SUSTAINABILITY OF GOLF COURSES IN LAND SCARCE SINGAPORE

Abstract

Singapore faces many environmental and developmental challenges due to its land scarcity. To meet the growing recreational needs of its increasingly affluent nation, the Urban Redevelopment Authority allocates a considerable amount of land for “play” to make Singapore a “Playground for All”. However, a large proportion of this area is taken up by golf courses, which is ecologically malignant when not properly managed. Since Singapore can hardly afford to preserve large tracts of natural areas, more effort is expended to protect the little that is left, which leads to the question of the sustainability of territorial-hungry golf in Singapore.

This dissertation seeks to provide an overview of the environmental impacts of golf and to discuss the need for an Environmental Management System (EMS) to sustain the game. The values and beliefs of the golf management professionals and golfers to protect the environment are examined through survey questionnaires, interviews and literature review to ascertain the possibility of implementing ISO 14000 EMS on golf course developments in Singapore. A case study on a green golf course is also presented to elaborate on the green features that can be adopted for environmental sustainability.

The prospect of the golf industry in Singapore appears to be promising as the level of environmental awareness is high, where the need to mitigate negative environmental impacts is apparent. However, the golf industry appears to be taking a passive approach in the implementation of an EMS, which calls for the need for governmental intervention.