Environmental Impact Summary
New York’s 833 golf courses provide nearly 103,000 acres of greenspace across the state supporting wildlife habitats, air quality, water filtration, flood mitigation, and urban cooling. These courses generate a direct economic contribution of approximately $67,000 per acre. Golf is present in all ten New York regions including Long Island, Mid-Hudson, Central NY, Finger Lakes, Western NY, the Southern Tier, Capital Region, New York City, North Country, and Mohawk Valley.
New York Golf Environmental Highlights
The number of New York golf courses remains largely unchanged from 818 courses in 2007, with 39% of golf facilities launching or continuing large-scale capital projects in 2023, demonstrating the industry's long-term stability and continued investment in infrastructure, course improvements, and sustainability.
There are 74,177 acres of maintained turfgrass; this includes Greens, Tees, Fairways and Rough. New York courses maintain an average of 89 acres of turfgrass per course, which is slightly below the national GCSAA median of 95 acres for 18-hole facilities, demonstrating responsible land use while still prioritizing high-quality playing surfaces.
Water, wetlands, trees, forests, and native rough make up 37% of golf course acreage in New York - totaling 38,105 acres which help preserve biodiversity and support local wildlife.
2,465 acres (2.4% of total golf course acreage) are designated wetlands and dedicated to wildlife habitat.
Greens, tees, and fairways account for 22% of total golf course acreage.
More than 1 in 5 acres of New York golf course land is located on Long Island. This provides opportunities for habitat preservation, stormwater capture, and pollinator support in one of the most densely populated and ecologically sensitive regions of the state.
New York golf is geographically inclusive across all 10 regions, with the largest share of golf course acreage in Long Island (22%), strong representation in Mid-Hudson (16%), Western NY (13%), Finger Lakes (12%), and Central NY (12%). Additional regional coverage in the Southern Tier (9%), Capital Region (6%), North Country (5%), New York City (4%), and Mohawk Valley (3%) reflects the sport’s reach in both urban and rural communities.
Environmental Leadership, Ecosystem Services, and Sustainability
There are 38 New York golf courses certified by Audubon International, with four courses holding Signature Sanctuary designation, indicating excellence in water conservation, habitat protection, and sustainable land management.
Approximately 7% of courses surveyed participate in environmental programs including Audubon International memberships or Signature Sanctuary certifications, Audubon Society, STEM hands-on learning programs, or multi-use facilities that include bird-watching, tree walks, shared walking paths, gardens, and more.
STEAM education programs, including The First Green, provide experiential learning at New York courses, integrating science, math, art, and environmental studies.
The New York Best Management Practices (BMPs) Guide provides all New York golf facilities with standardized practices, developed in collaboration with Cornell University, using GCSA state-approved protocols to promote water quality and conservation, habitat protection, and responsible land use, ensuring long-term environmental sustainability. Of those surveyed, 99% of New York superintendents report the BMP Guide is ‘valuable’ and nearly half characterize it as ‘very to extremely valuable’ in their operations.
Golf maintenance BMPs are utilized during planning, design, construction, and ongoing operations to protect and encourage natural, flourishing wildlife habitats, nesting sites, and wildlife corridors.
The “green infrastructure” of New York golf courses includes turfgrass, native rough, water bodies, and wetlands to help offset the need for, and costs of, public infrastructure required to store and manage stormwater. Turfgrass, landscaping, and trees on golf courses also help remove air pollutants that can endanger human health.
New York City is the most impervious city in the U.S., with Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens all over 70% covered by hard surfaces like concrete and asphalt. These surfaces absorb heat creating an urban heat island (UHI) and worsen flooding. Golf courses cool cities by reflecting sunlight - their grass, trees, and waterbodies lower surface temperatures and provide shade, reduce smog, help address extreme rainfall, break up heat zones, and offer the same cooling benefits as parks.
New York City ranks in the top five cities nationwide for the most intense UHI, with intensity at 7.6°F hotter than surrounding areas. The region has over 3,800 acres of urban golf course greenspace to help cool the city and provide climate resilience.
Water Use & Conservation
In 2023, water use for New York golf courses was less than one-half of one percent of the state’s total annual water consumption.
This equates to a direct economic contribution for the state of New York of approximately $182,134 per AF of water used by New York golf courses.
There was 30,646 AF of irrigation water used, representing 80% of total water usage.
Nearly half of all irrigation water is drawn from on‐site wells, more than one third from self-supplied surface water, and the remainder split between municipal supplies, reclaimed water, and other sources.
Most courses use metered reporting (84%) for accurate measurement, giving superintendents real-time insights into water budgets and conservation measures.
Over the past five years, 36.4% of New York golf courses have reduced their irrigation footprint, removing 1,807 acres from irrigation — a 3.5% reduction across the state’s 51,000 total irrigated acres.
Water Conservation and Water Quality BMPs
98% of courses use three or more water reduction strategies, 89% use five or more, and nearly one third use twelve or more conservation best practices.
Top five water conservation efforts of those surveyed include use of wetting agents (94%), visual monitoring and hand watering (92%), mulching (83%), soil moisture meters (78%), and routine irrigation system inspections and calibration (74%).
77% of courses have implemented three or more water quality BMPs, indicating deep engagement with 21% reporting seven or more, reflecting pursuit of comprehensive water‐quality safeguards.
Over four-fifths of superintendents (84%) remove grass clippings prior to washing equipment, 72% conduct routine water-quality sampling, and nearly half (47%) maintain buffer zones of longer vegetation at least 25 feet around waterbodies to protect water quality.
Waste Management & Recycling
Waste diversion refers to the share of total waste that is kept out of landfills by redirecting materials into recycling, composting, or other recovery streams.
New York golf courses achieved a 37% waste diversion rate in 2023, outperforming major benchmarks including Buffalo’s 30% (2019), New York City’s 21%, and even the U.S. municipal average of 32% (EPA, 2018) — demonstrating the golf industry’s leadership in sustainable waste management.
63% of courses recycle, and another 28% plan to start within five years meaning over 90% of New York facilities either do or will divert materials from landfill.
Nearly 80% of courses have adopted four or more waste‐reduction BMPs, over 60% report six or more, and about 20% have implemented nine or more BMPs.
Repurposing fryer oil and golf balls supports a circular economy demonstrating closed-loop thinking that extends product lifecycles and fosters community goodwill. Additional top waste diversion measures used by New York courses:
Hazardous-Fluid Recycling: used oil, coolant and solvents
Mixed Recycling: Captures the largest mass of materials
On-Site Composting: Organic debris composted into soil amendments
Digital Workflow: Replacing paper footprints
Inventory Rotation: Low-cost, high-impact tactic preventing expired goods
Pollinator Habitat & Protection
All ten New York regions from Long Island’s coastal layouts to the Adirondacks’ inland courses report robust pollinator‐BMP implementation.
Nearly 90% of New York golf courses implement four or more pollinator protection BMPs, with 64% adopting six or more distinct strategies and 20% reporting ten or more in active use - many of which directly support pollinator health.
Practices include adopting IPM strategies, native habitat restoration, and dedicated pollinator zones, highlighting the industry’s commitment to protecting biodiversity and sustaining essential pollinator populations.
Energy Conservation
89% of courses have applied three or more energy conservation BMPs, with 75% utilizing four or more measures.
Over 50% have adopted six or more distinct BMPs.
Top three energy conservation efforts of those surveyed include use of indoor and outdoor LED lighting (85%), Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) in pump stations (82%), and lithium battery golf carts (55%).
New York golf courses are increasingly adopting energy-efficient equipment, with 47% using hybrid mowers and utility vehicles, 25% using electric mowers, and 30% utilizing electric tools like rollers and backpack blowers.
Integrated Pest Management Practices
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a system that combines a holistic approach using biological, cultural, mechanical and chemical controls to solve pest problems effectively while minimizing environmental impact.
Over 95% of courses report four or more IPM practices, 75% utilize six or more.
New York superintendents have embraced IPM, with each BMP adopted by at least 55% of respondents and many by over 80%:
Chemical Rotation: Preventing pest resistance (97%)
Routine Scouting: Frequent inspections for early detection and action (88%)
Spot Treatments: Applied only where needed, reducing overall use (81%)
Forecast-Based Timing: Pest predictive models (80%)
Mechanical Controls & Records: Non-chemical methods and records (73%)
New York golf courses actively deploy decision support tools (DSTs) to synthesize data into digestible formats:
Eight of the 15 DSTs surveyed were used at rates higher than 50%, suggesting New York superintendents are leveraging digital resources to inform management decisions.
Pesticide risk indicators - typically used by researchers - are considered by 43% of New York courses, reflecting advanced efforts to assess risk beyond product labels.
Nutrient Management Practices
Over the past five years, New York golf course superintendents have made measurable strides in optimizing nutrient use, turf health, and environmental stewardship. Fertilizer is applied to just 56% of total course acreage (57,512 acres) covering 77% of the actively maintained 74,475-acre footprint, highlighting a deliberate, performance-focused approach to turf management and environmental care.
Nearly one-third (27%) reported they intentionally cut back on total fertilized area. These reductions amount to an average 13% decrease in fertilized acreage, equating to roughly 2,868 acres.
Almost half of respondents (47%) cut nutrient use by 8.9%, showing they fine‑tuned application rates and timing to meet plant needs without excess.
95% of respondents have adopted four or more BMPs; 75% have implemented seven or more; and 8% report using all twelve BMPs surveyed. This distribution demonstrates that courses are comprehensively integrating nutrient-management protocols.
Top nutrient management BMPs include written fertilizer logs (90.2%), equipment calibration and maintenance (89.5%), and soil sampling with documentation (87.4%) - promoting precision, accountability, and environmental stewardship.
Out of 11 comparable BMP questions, New York golf courses adopted five practices at rates at least 10% higher than the national average.
Notably, 47% reported using Minimum Levels of Sustainable Nutrition (MLSN) guidelines - up from ~10% nationally, potentially reflecting stronger engagement with turf research and education.
New York golf courses are advancing sustainability across water use, waste diversion, energy conservation, pollinator protection, and turf management. Through widespread adoption of BMPs, commitment to habitat preservation, and ongoing continuous improvement efforts the industry is demonstrating how golf can deliver ecological value while enhancing community well-being, resilience, and green infrastructure across the Empire State’s urban and rural landscapes.
