Most disc golfers are pretty well-versed in how the sport can help to create community and can make some major differences in your health, but one less talked about benefit has to do with the environment. Disc golf is certainly considered a green sport, as the negative impact it has on the land around it is virtually non-existent.

How might a disc golf course in your area help the local environment and be a benefit to the parks in the area? The answers might surprise you.

What Goes Around Comes Around

One of the main ways that disc golf can help the environment might not be as obvious as you think, as the impact on local park development can be influenced by how regularly people play. Imagine for a moment a park in your town that’s been ignored. Maybe the grass is overgrown and the walking trails are littered with trash.

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Would you want to put a course in this area? Probably not. Now what if a new course is installed with premium baskets, creative hole layouts, and nice concrete tee pads – I’ll bet you and your friends will be out there every weekend.

Your city council takes notice of this and sees how awesome it is to have a disc golf course in- your neck of the woods. Before you know it, they’re investing more money into other green spaces in the area and maybe even putting in another course. All of this land development – in a natural and greenway – will no doubt improve the environment.

Unique Design Elements

The way in which a course is built also has a huge impact on the environment and can be either incredibly positive or sadly negative depending on how things are planned. The obvious concerns about endangered wetlands or wildlife come into play often, so newer course designers should be aware that these items are important.

However, think about the creative ways that courses can help the land they’re on. What if the park uses recycled water to help nurture the plants there and keep the grass lush? The park could utilize solar power to light up their gazebos or even their bathroom facilities. The areas that accompany the course can be a nice compliment that makes the area even more appealing.

Remember Your Manners

It’s worth mentioning that all of these incredible environmental benefits can quickly be forgotten if disc golfers don’t respect the land they’re on. Whether it’s littering, damaging signs or benches, or even altering the course themselves, we can quickly create a bad name for disc golf in our community.

Installing a disc golf course can sometimes be a mess of red tape, but pointing out the environmental benefits to those in charge may be the way to push it forward. Do any of the courses in your area boast specific features that uniquely enhance the area? We’d love to hear about your own experiences with how disc golf can help the environment in the comments below.