Many people think that living next to a golf course is wonderful, thinking that it's lots of open space. But... it also comes with exposure to all the pesticides used on golf course lawns (pesticides drift through the air to neighboring properties and also get into water). Unfortunately, pesticides can cause health harms, including Parkinson's disease.
A recent study found that the closer a person lives next to a golf course, the higher the incidence of Parkinson's disease. In fact, living within a mile of a golf course is associated with a 126% increased risk for Parkinson's disease. The biggest risk was for individuals living 1 to 3 miles from a golf course.
Additionally, drinking water from groundwater that includes a water source from a golf course was associated with an almost two-fold increased risk for Parkinson's disease (due to drinking water contamination).
While this observational study showed an association with Parkinson's disease, other studies also show that exposure to certain pesticides increases the risk of Parkinson's disease. Some of the pesticides linked to increase risk of Parkinson's disease: 2,4-D, chlorpyrifos, MCPP, maneb, paraquat, and rotenone. (Note that pesticides such as 2,4-D are also commonly found in feed and weed products.)
Another disturbing thing to keep in mind is that American golf courses use greater amounts and more pesticides, including pesticides that are banned in Europe, compared to European golf courses. Just think of weed-free carpet-like lawns as poison lawns.
Excerpts from Medical Xpress: Golf course proximity linked to higher Parkinson's disease risk
Barrow Neurological Institute and Mayo Clinic-led researchers report an association between living near golf courses and increased Parkinson's disease (PD) risk in a study published in JAMA Network Open.
Residents within 1 to 2 miles of a golf course demonstrated nearly triple the odds of having PD, with the greatest risk identified among those in water service areas with a golf course situated in regions susceptible to groundwater contamination.
Environmental risk factors, including pesticide exposure, have been identified as contributors to PD risk. Golf courses in the United States are treated with pesticides at levels up to 15 times higher than those in Europe, raising concerns about potential environmental contamination. Earlier reports have proposed that proximity to golf courses may increase PD risk through groundwater and drinking water contamination.
The cohort included 419 incident PD cases and 5,113 matched controls identified through the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a comprehensive medical records system covering a 27-county region in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin from 1991 to 2015.
Exposure assessments included residence distance to the nearest golf course, living in a water service area with a golf course, and residence in groundwater-vulnerable regions. Distance categories were structured as less than 1 mile, 1 to 2 miles, 2 to 3 miles, 3 to 6 miles, and more than 6 miles.
Living 1 to 2 miles from a golf course was associated with 198% higher odds of PD, while those 2 to 3 miles away had 121% higher odds. Risk declined by approximately 13% per additional mile beyond 3 miles.
Residing in water service areas with a golf course showed 96% higher odds of PD compared to areas without a golf course, regardless of residential proximity.
Findings align with broader concerns regarding pesticide exposure and its potential impact on neurodegenerative diseases. Proximity to golf courses emerged as a factor in PD risk, particularly in areas with groundwater vulnerability, suggesting that environmental susceptibility may play a critical role in exposure pathways.