The maintenance operations typically carried out on a golf course were analysed, taking the Colli Berici Golf Club, located in the province of Vicenza (Italy), as a case study, and verifying their sustainability in terms of carbon offsetting. With regard to the quantities of CO2 sequestered, only tree vegetation was considered. The data resulting from these activities made it possible to apply the i-Tree Eco model. The results showed a sequestration of 341.65 Mg/year of carbon dioxide, of which more than 90% was sequestered by vegetation in forest areas, mainly by Ostrya carpinifolia and Castanea sativa. These results were compared with the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in carrying out the green management practices. After analysing the machines used, the hours of annual operation and their fuel consumption, the carbon dioxide emitted was calculated to be 19.9 Mg/year. In particular, cutting operations are responsible for almost 80% of the total emissions. Also of interest is the 4.9% of emissions related to bunker management. Roughs and fairways are the areas that contribute the most to emissions with the 30.5% and 31.9% of the total, respectively. Greens and collars also have a high figure, as they are affected not only by grass cutting, but also by all turf renewal operations. This first analysis, although partial, highlights that on this golf course characterised by extensive tree vegetation, results showed a surplus of CO2 sequestered of more than 320 Mg/year compared to emissions. The results also indicate that grass cutting of roughs and fairways is the operation on which to focus the most efforts to make maintenance more sustainable, for example by considering the introduction of differentiated grass management in some areas and/or autonomous lawn mowers for cutting grass on fairways.
Assessing Carbon Footprint and Offsetting in Golf Course Maintenance: A Case Study of Colli Berici Golf Club, Italy
Bortolini L.
2025
Abstract
The maintenance operations typically carried out on a golf course were analysed, taking the Colli Berici Golf Club, located in the province of Vicenza (Italy), as a case study, and verifying their sustainability in terms of carbon offsetting. With regard to the quantities of CO2 sequestered, only tree vegetation was considered. The data resulting from these activities made it possible to apply the i-Tree Eco model. The results showed a sequestration of 341.65 Mg/year of carbon dioxide, of which more than 90% was sequestered by vegetation in forest areas, mainly by Ostrya carpinifolia and Castanea sativa. These results were compared with the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in carrying out the green management practices. After analysing the machines used, the hours of annual operation and their fuel consumption, the carbon dioxide emitted was calculated to be 19.9 Mg/year. In particular, cutting operations are responsible for almost 80% of the total emissions. Also of interest is the 4.9% of emissions related to bunker management. Roughs and fairways are the areas that contribute the most to emissions with the 30.5% and 31.9% of the total, respectively. Greens and collars also have a high figure, as they are affected not only by grass cutting, but also by all turf renewal operations. This first analysis, although partial, highlights that on this golf course characterised by extensive tree vegetation, results showed a surplus of CO2 sequestered of more than 320 Mg/year compared to emissions. The results also indicate that grass cutting of roughs and fairways is the operation on which to focus the most efforts to make maintenance more sustainable, for example by considering the introduction of differentiated grass management in some areas and/or autonomous lawn mowers for cutting grass on fairways.
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