New Book Provides Golf’s Critics with Fact-Based Information About the Game’s Environmental, Social and Economic Value

“The Sustainable Sport” Now Available for Pre-Sale

It’s always best to consider the facts.

In a recent podcast interview, “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary claimed that golf courses use more water than data centers and argued that courses should be shut down. 

The Sustainable Sport, an informative new book by Forrest Richardson, the highly regarded golf course architect explains how golf’s five million worldwide acres benefit communities, economies, and the environment, including how courses interact with water and ecosystems.

“While I don’t claim to know much about modern data centers,” said Richardson, whose work has focused on golf course design and land planning, “I do know the measurable value of golf courses. Golf is built on a strong three-legged stool of social, economic, and environmental benefits. Data centers may offer a trade-off, but golf should not be thrown under the bus to defend them.”

Richardson’s new book illustrates in detail how golf courses can filter water from treated wastewater, with much of that water returning to the ground after moving through turfgrass and soil. Some water is absorbed by roots and released through a process called transpiration, while some evaporates before the grass can use it. That is why modern irrigation technology has focused on improving sprinkler efficiency and reducing direct evaporation.

Richardson cites numerous studies on golf’s water use to correct common misconceptions, including:

• Although golf courses account for less than 3% of all U.S. turf areas, they represent only 1.3% of irrigation demand, a difference Richardson attributes to golf’s water-maintenance practices.
• Over the past 20 years, U.S. golf courses have reduced their water reliance by 30%.
• Golf courses built near homes or businesses effectively drain and filter water affected by dense urban areas.
• The water draining out of golf courses is generally far cleaner than water draining into golf courses.

Richardson also noted that golf has spent years responding to sustainability claims with research, measurement, and evolving course-management practices.

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Now available for pre-sale, The Sustainable Sport makes a rigorous, fact-based case for golf’s environmental, economic, and social value, drawing on Forrest Richardson’s decades of experience as a golf course architect and land planner. Having designed and studied courses across diverse landscapes, Richardson brings both technical acumen and practical credibility to questions of water use, turf management, ecosystem stewardship, and the game’s broader role in communities around the world.

Rather than dismissing criticism, Richardson addresses it directly, explaining how golf’s nearly 600-year global footprint intersects with world economies, human socialization, and the environment. The book examines the water cycle, what is applied to golf courses, how modern course design and maintenance have advanced conservation-minded practices, and why golf’s measurable benefits deserve to be weighed against common misconceptions.

Availability (Late Fall 2026)

Soft Cover Edition / First Printing
ISBN: 979-8-90599-058-8
Price: $19.00 USD

Hardbound Edition / First Printing
ISBN: 979-8-90678-879-5
Price: $32.00 USD

Pre-sale orders are available at Golframes.com. Additional availability through Amazon and Apple Books is pending.

For media information or bulk copy inquiries, contact alexis@forrestrichardsongolf.com. Additional order information is available at Golframes.com.