Binaural Field Recordings from the Golf Course in Trzciana

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, Po-land, and evaluated its potential as a setting for acoustic and psychological regenera-tion. A mixed-method design was adopted, integrating a questionnaire survey of 36 players (n = 36), binaural sound recordings, and landscape analysis. The results indi-cated that 63% of respondents evaluated the sound environment positively, highlight-ing 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 over-all 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.