Soil Organic Carbon Storage in Coastal Golf Courses: Understanding Carbon Storage for Climate Positive Action in Golf Course Landscapes

This report sets out a methodology that was implemented as part of a project commissioned by the R&A within the GC2030 initiative; the work was carried out by a research team at the University of St Andrews. The report highlights that soil organic carbon storage in coastal golf courses is equivalent to many other terrestrial and coastal soil types where organic carbon stores are being actively managed. The golf courses of Scotland, England and Wales collectively hold a significant national (UK) store of soil carbon, and hold, on average (area for area), more carbon than arable farmland in the UK. The report also highlights that these soil organic carbon stores are vulnerable to the effects of coastal erosion deriving from accelerating sea-level rise. The report therefore provides a new evidence-based argument to support the case for coastal protection to help prevent and reduce the loss of these vulnerable organic carbon stores.