November 1st, 2022 — Golf Course Architect Forrest Richardson has announced publication of his new book, The Sustainable Sport — How Golf’s Five Million Acres Benefit the Planet. The title, to be release in mid-2023, is an in-depth look at the game of golf with a perspective on sustainability.
“The very idea of golf being sustainable is one that some people can’t get their arms around, or even accept to begin with,” says Forrest Richardson. “During my career I’ve engaged in many deep discussions about golf and how it has contributed positively to the environment, and also how the game has helped further innovations in irrigation and turf science. Those discussions have not always gone well because many people simply have closed minds — this writing is intended to give us all more information, some of which we’ve not explored in enough detail up until now.”
Richardson previously authored Routing the Golf Course (2001) and Bunkers, Pits & Other Hazards (2005), both published by John Wiley & Sons. Those titles, both aimed at land planning and golf design readers, have been successful resources with multiple reprints. The Sustainable Sport will be a publishing joint venture of European-based Db Print and On Course Publishing. A series of podcasts that mirrors the writing is planned to be released along with the print version.
Among the topics is a detailed look at golf’s footprint across the built environment, an eye-opening comparison of how golf’s acreage compares to other human environments such as housing, agriculture, and roadways. The long-debated question “Is a golf course open space?” is explored, including a look at the origins of golf courses and how it has innovated across more than five centuries.
Sustainability’s “three legged stool” is applied to golf, with facts covering the economic, environmental and social aspects that surround the game’s 200 billion global impact. Richardson also takes a look to the future, pointing out what is being done now to better the game and its impact on next generations.
The book’s initial release is planned to be a 240-page softcover format, printed with water-based inks on recycled and renewable paper certified by FSC, ensuring that paper has come from responsibly managed forests providing environmental, social and economic benefits. Additional certification will be provided by the PEFC, the global alliance of forest certification compliance. Db Print is based in Europe with locations in Belgium, France and Poland. On Course Publishing is based in Phoenix, Arizona.
For information contact: Valerie Richardson