Golf Enthusiast Teed Off on Water Conservation

Kazi A. Alam’s May 4 letter claims golf is a decadent, wasteful sport that is ecologically damaging and uses a tremendous amount of water. I have taken up the sport in the last year, and every golf course I have had the pleasure of playing uses recycled/reclaimed water, has environmentally sensitive habitat areas that are restricted from entry (even to retrieve a lost ball) and uses organic/natural fertilizers and pest controls.

Golf is also one of the fastest growing sports, with more and more of our youth taking up the game. It encourages sportsmanship, good manners and gets them off the street for five hours at a time, into a great park-like setting. In almost every major city there are programs to teach kids what I have discovered is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, spend time with friends and get some needed exercise. The next time you drive by your local municipal course, take time to enjoy the open green space and imagine all the strip malls, parking lots and overly condensed housing projects that surely would have been built if not for the golf course’s existence.

Laszlo Hodosy

Santa Barbara