The effects of golf courses on water quality in the

Gauteng and Western Cape Provinces in South Africa

Vuyani Lingela and Jenny Day
Department of Zoology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa

Introduction Upstream Downstream

This paper examines the effects of golf courses on water quality.
25,000

Total nitrogen (ìg/l)

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0
G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 G10

 Total nitrogen concentrations above:

• 5,000 ìg/l will affect the fitness of water for crop yield and quality as
well as contaminate ground water
• 500 ìg/l will affect the irrigation equipment

Upstream Downstream
Knysna Golf Club, Western Cape Province, South Africa
3,000

Orthophosphate (ìg/l)
2,500
Methods 2,000
Water samples were collected upstream (where the stream enters the 1,500
golf course) and downstream (where the stream exits the golf course) in
10 golf courses in the Gauteng Province and the Western Cape Province 1,000
in South Africa in April and May 2009, as illustrated below. 500
0
N G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 G10
W E
Limpopo
S
1  No target water quality requirement for orthophosphate
Legend
Mpumalanga
North West Gauteng Golf courses
Cities
Free State Provinces
KwaZulu-
Northern Cape Nature reserves
Natal
Upstream Downstream
2

Atlantic Eastern Cape Indian 4,000

Total phosphorus (ìg/l)

Ocean Ocean
Western Cape
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
2 1
1,500
Northern Cape
1,000
North West
500
Pretoria
Pretoria 0
Silverlakes
G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 G10
Zwartkop Woodhill
Eastern Cape Irene
Western Cape Mpumalanga  Total phosphorus concentrations above 100 ìg/l will affect the fitness
Cape
Johannesburg
Town
of water for aquaculture
Gauteng
Knysna
Kleinmond Plattenberg Bay
Riversdale
Bredasdorp

Conclusions
Samples were analysed for nitrate/nitrite (NOx); total ammonia (NH4 +  Water quality effects are golf-course-specific:
NH3); total nitrogen (N); orthophosphate (PO4); and total phosphorus (P).
• some cause pollution of surface waters
• some improve water quality downstream
Results  Therefore:
• partnerships between the golf course industry and government
Upstream Downstream should be developed to allow golf courses to be beneficial features
of the landscape
3,500
3,000
Nitrate/nitrite (ìg/l)

2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 G10

 Nitrate/nitrite concentrations above 50 ìg/l will affect the fitness of

water for aquaculture

Upstream Downstream

10,000
Total ammonia (ìg/l)

8,000
Mossel Bay Golf Club, Western Cape Province, South Africa
6,000

4,000
Acknowledgements
2,000
The authors acknowledge the Department of Science and Technology of
0 South Africa for funding this research. Special thanks to Craig Attwood
G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 G10 for the water analysis and Johan Maritz for the location maps. The
authors are especially grateful to greenkeepers and golf course
 Total ammonia concentrations above: managers for granting them access to their golf courses.
• 1,000 ìg/l will affect the fitness of water for human consumption
• 600 ìg/l will adversely affect the South African coastal zone For further information
• 300 ìg/l will affect the fitness of water for aquaculture
Please contact Vuyani@researchandstrategy.co.za