Justin Timberlake is not only a successful musical artist, but also the first individual to build an LEED certified golf course in the United States. This course, named Mirimichi Golf Course, is the only U.S project to receive the Audubon International’s Classic Sanctuary certification. Unlike the conventional courses, this specific institution will feature irrigation systems to maximize the use of rainwater, native landscaping, and electric golf carts powered by solar panels in order to reduce energy use and waste.

However, Timberlake is not the only one catching onto this trend. At the PGA Golf course at San Francisco’s Harding Park, the field uses fewer pesticides than any other course in the United States. Instead of using harmful chemicals, the groundskeepers use microbes to eliminate fungus, soap to get rid of weeds, they hand pluck wild daisies, and flush out moles with hoses. These simple techniques have significantly reduced the impact this golf course has had on the environment and has drastically decreased the amount of pesticide used in the area.

With the environment becoming a central issue around the world it looks like green golf courses are finally an accurate term.