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Even before Tiger Woods, golf was hot stuff in Southeast Asia just as it is in the United States. It is the rage in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. In 1996, in Thailand, reportedly one new golf course was being built every ten days. Golf courses mean big business in developing countries where an increasing number of wealthy businessmen tee off to relax, spend money, close business deals and enjoy the status of club life. Wealthy tourists from countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore come to play too. Sounds like a good deal.
But where do you build golf courses? The answer is "in forests and on farmland." But clearing forests for golf courses creates the same environmental problems as clearing forests for any other purpose, such as dams and development. One effect is loss of habitat and species — losses that can be far-reaching even though a loss is a local event. Another effect of clearing forests is soil erosion, which causes general stream siltation and mudslides both locally and downstream. When silt flows into rice paddies, the harvest drops, something Asian countries cannot afford.
Clearing agricultural land for golf courses also hurts the environment. Farmland adjacent and nearby to a golf course often becomes unusable because access is cut off — a farmer can't get from one plot to another to make farming profitable. Golf courses also compete with farming for water resources and can drain water tables to keep greens and fairways lush. With water tables and streams drained, farmers find it difficult to grow crops. In Thailand, more than half to two-thirds of the people make a living by farming, while more than half to two-thirds of the golf courses are also built on farmland, according to a newspaper article.
Although golf courses are great for newly rich businessmen, it isn't good for farmers and others who depend on agricultural land for survival. Some farmers who own land can make a little money by selling their land. Some can make money by working construction while the golf courses are being built but relatively few stay on to work after the courses are up and running. As usual, short-term gain doesn't make up for the long-term loss of agricultural land.
Golf courses also use fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides that seep into groundwater and run into streams. This contaminates water used for drinking and cooking. It isn't good for fish, shellfish and other aquatic life either.
