But the turning point of the movement came during the coronavirus pandemic. As more people started working from home, many began to look at the stars from their own backyards. For those buying second homes, access to the dark sky became a more important draw. This, in turn, led golf community developers to embrace the dark sky as a marketing opportunity. A bonus: it also makes homes cheaper to maintain.

"As a result of Covid-19, we are seeing an increasing interest in people moving to remote areas," said Daniel Wright, the assistant manager of Springs RV Resort and Golf Course in Borrego Springs, who has been there for 20 years. works to preserve the dark sky there. "Their main motivation is to leave cities and busy suburbs, but as they spend more time in our area, we think they will gain an appreciation for protecting the dark skies."

As the movement of the dark sky began in the United States, it has exploded internationally over the past decade. Mexico may not have an official dark-sky park yet, but the private sector is moving forward with residential golf communities such as Costa Palmas on the Eastern Cape of Baja, home to residential golf communities such as Four Seasons Residences Los Cabos and Amanvari Residences, where all lighting is prohibited and only low voltage lighting with a maximum of 25 watts may be used for all outdoor lighting applications.

"We have the opportunity and responsibility to develop Costa Palmas with a thoughtful approach to the natural environment and for us that includes the spectacular night sky," said Michael Radovan, Costa Palmas General Manager.

Initially, Europe was slow to embrace the movement of the dark sky, but is starting to make up for lost time. Dark-sky parks started there in Britain and spread to the mainland. Today, Great Britain is leading. Britain has the count with 14 official IDA sites, Germany has five and France has 4. Coincidentally, these are the three largest golf markets in Europe. lighting, emission limits, significantly less glare and the strictest blue light emissions, not to mention an outright v erbod on lasers, air jets, illuminated waterways and other minor "violations". This was especially welcome in places such as the Alabaster Coast in Normandy, home to 40 golf courses that are part of an emerald chain that preserves the region's cultural and natural landscapes.