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Golf Courses as Soundscape Refugia: Toward Sustainable Management of Acoustic Landscapes

Agata Gajdek,Anna Sołtysik,S. Wójcik,Anna Maria Martyka

Published 2025 in Sustainability

ABSTRACT

Noise exposure in urbanized environments poses a growing challenge to human health and well-being. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify and preserve areas with high acoustic quality to support restorative experiences in urban environments. This study examined the soundscape of the Two Ponds Golf Course in Trzciana, Poland, and evaluated its potential as a setting for acoustic and psychological regeneration. A mixed-method design was adopted, integrating a questionnaire survey of 36 players (n = 36), binaural sound recordings, and landscape analysis. The results indicated that 63% of respondents evaluated the sound environment positively, highlighting the dominance of natural sounds (birds, wind, and amphibians), complemented by golf-related and rural background sounds. Only 13% of respondents perceived the sounds as disruptive. Occasional negative acoustic events, such as aircraft overflights or lawnmower activity, occurred infrequently and had a limited influence on the overall positive perception of the site. These findings suggest that suburban golf courses may function as “soundscape refugia,” providing restorative auditory experiences while supporting biodiversity conservation.

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