Golf Course Architecture - Green Pages 2021

12 GOL F OPT IMUM T he decision-making process is constantly geared to considering the costs that will arise over the lifetime of a facility. In this approach, sustainable development and eco-design are based on taking into account what the full impact will be of various materials and products, including identifying the raw materials, the impacts related to their production and potential transformation, as well as any potentially negative end-of-life effects. This holistic approach also applies with the financial aspects of a project; it is known as ‘life- cycle costing’. This new approach is a fundamental shift from the old, traditional approach of investing in a project. It consists of considering, from the very outset, the long-term cost implications of the various potential options available, including the costs that will be incurred over the project’s lifetime. The philosophy extends throughout the construction, operation and maintenance phases, and then potentially on to a transformation phase – or even decommissioning – including waste treatment and recycling. At present, this objective is still constrained by the prevalence of traditional methods, in which budgets Golf Optimum’s Michel Niedbala considers the benefits of adopting a life-cycle approach to projects A new way of thinking Michel Niedbala argues that the life-cycle costing approach to projects can lead to environmental benefits as well as helping clubs save money