Golf courses

You may have spotted an old golf course that could be a potential growing site. Before you do any growing please make sure you get a proper soil check done. This applies to anywhere you are going to grow but is particularly relevant on golf courses because of historical pesticide and fungicide use to keep the grass even and green. This means there is a possibility that both mercury residues as well as some persistent organic pollutant residues may be present. It may be fine - mercury compounds can be converted by bacteria in the soil into elemental mercury which is gradually dispersed in the air and lost, and other pesticides are supposed to break down after a few weeks leaving little if any residual toxicity. However, it could also not be and it is extremely important to check before anyone starts eating produce grown there.