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Golf Course Rewilding

Golf course rewilding: more biodiversity, less water

Golf course rewilding turns out-of-play areas into natural habitats: native grasses, wildflower meadows, hedgerows and wetlands that attract birds, insects and other wildlife. At NGM Golf & Sports Consulting we help clubs plan golf course rewilding projects that improve biodiversity, reduce maintenance costs and make the course more attractive to players.

Golf course rewilding: wildflower meadow full of biodiversity

5 benefits of golf course rewilding

  • Water savings: fewer irrigated hectares and more drought-tolerant native vegetation.
  • Lower maintenance costs: less mowing, fuel and treatments in naturalised areas.
  • Biodiversity: habitats for pollinators, birds and small mammals.
  • A better player experience: a more varied, natural and memorable landscape.
  • Brand and reputation: a sustainability story that members, investors and authorities value.

Aerial view of a golf course with natural areas for rewilding

How we plan a golf course rewilding project

We start with a diagnosis of out-of-play areas and resources, choose the actions with the greatest impact and measure results season by season. We follow international guidance such as that of The R&A on sustainable course management, and we connect the project with golf course management and possible environmental certification.

Would you like to explore golf course rewilding at your club? Contact us.

Greenkeeper mowing the playing areas while natural zones are left to grow

Frequently asked questions

Does golf course rewilding affect play? No. It focuses on out-of-play areas, so the playing corridors, greens and tees keep their usual standard while the rest of the course gains natural value.

How long does it take to see results? The first changes in wildlife and water use are usually visible within one or two seasons, and they improve year after year as native vegetation establishes itself.

Every course is different, so each golf course rewilding plan starts with a site visit and a conversation with the greenkeeping team.

Naturalization or rewilding projects consist of a process of enhancing biodiversity to achieve its greatest functionality once the location and natural environment of the field have been analyzed to configure maximum biodiversity.

Among the advantages of this innovative approach to the environmental management of a golf course are:

  • Resolution of typical golf course problems, as well as pest control and reduction of phytosanitary products.
    Reduction of irrigation water using plants more adapted to drought.
  • Improvement in the ecological functioning of the lakes, providing cleaning, purification and filtration as well as improvement of reclaimed water.
  • Generate a landscape coherent with the environment of the golf course.
  • Provide an environment of beauty and well-being to the player, thus improving their perception of the field.
  • Promote territorial connectivity and form part of the green infrastructure strategy of the territory where it is located.
  • Act as a private nature reserve for fauna and flora, creating oases of nature, especially aquatic ecosystems and meadows, currently in regression.
Abubilla en un campo de golf naturalizado

Service

Within this service, the promotion of specialized communication is incorporated to promote sustainability and the benefits that golf courses generate. In this way it is guaranteed that the actions to be carried out and all the effort that the club makes can go as far as possible.

TopBiodiversity will advise on the creation and enhancement of biodiversity within the golf ecosystem. With this vision, he manages to solve the typical problems in the management of playgrounds by creating a unique and functional landscape environment that provides a natural identity. It works in line with the new trends in nature protection, creating refuges for fauna and flora on the golf course, thus creating a complete well-being environment.

Rewilding works best combined with ecological golf course maintenance and a broader plan to build a sustainable golf course. Discover how we put it into practice in our golf course management service.

«We believe in and are committed to sustainable and ecological management of golf courses and for this reason we want to get fully involved in all kinds of initiatives that favor it.»