Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The objective of this essay is, from the golf perspective including the golf courses' physical attributes, golf club management, members of the golf club and golf course designers, to explore possibilities for making existing golf courses more multifunctional. The purpose of this is to increase the understanding for golf courses' role as part of the landscape and comprehension regarding possible opportunities around them to exploit and develop.
The increased pressure of population in peri-urban areas has resulted in a greater need for accessible recreation, particularly in the isolated farmland. As a result, land is sometimes used against landowners' will, which is a deficiency that is the basis for many conflicts between farmers and landowners.
In the current situation, there is a negative trend in golf with reduced interest and fewer golfers than in the past. As a result, many of Sweden's golf courses have financial problems and are therefore trying to find new ways to avoid bankruptcy. Sweden's existing golf courses occupy about 30 000 hectares of land, of which a very large percentage are located in peri-urban areas. The average 18-hole course takes up 50-70 hectares, of which 40-70 percent consists of residue fields and are not used for golfing. If parts of these residual areas were used for activities other than golf, the golf club could target a wider audience and be exploit for activities during a longer part of the year.
A case study on Assartorps Golf Club, outside of Lund in southern Sweden, shows that 90 percent of the golf course's members have a positive attitude to the thought of their golf course becoming more multi-functional. With activities such as a jogging track for walking the dog, an outdoor gym, fishing ponds, trails and stick in winter, a mini-golf course, riding trails and pastures with sheep and cows, the members believe the golf course could gain new life again. Even the golf course management is positive to the idea of aiming a new target group through other activities and considers the nature of the golf course a new product to offer the public.