First ever ‘Sustainable Golf Week’ to take place

The first ever ‘Sustainable Golf Week’ is to take place in October, in which organisations all over the world will spotlight golf’s environmental achievements.

Hosted by GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf, the event which will run from October 3 to October 9, comes amid some confusion over how environmentally friendly the golf industry is.

The week will celebrate the eco-friendly actions of many golf courses, developers, designers, tournaments, players and companies, and promote what still needs to be done.

Under its #DrivingTheGreen theme across several mainstream and social media initiatives, Sustainable Golf Week will champion the work of leaders across the golf industry with inspirational examples and ideas on the practical steps that everyone involved in the sport can make to move the green agenda forward.

The week will focus on a number of key topics and parts of golf including grassroots clubs and courses, tournaments, developments and innovations, with a range of daily highlights, features and social media posts. It will also help further engage golfers, raising awareness about how they and their clubs can make a difference in fostering nature, conserving resources, strengthening communities and taking climate action.

“Sustainable Golf Week provides an opportunity for people across the sport to connect around a common purpose – to make sure that golf becomes established as a credible global leader in sustainability and climate action,” said Jonathan Smith, executive director of the international non-profit GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf. “It is about helping to bring some stronger collective focus to the issues, as well as building ever greater energy and momentum to golf’s contribution. We are excited about the ways in which this week can go on to be an ever-stronger catalyst for more action and visibility for golf and sustainability around the world,” he added.

2023 Solheim Cup Captain Suzann Pettersen is among those supporting the week’s activities: “Many environmental issues are fundamentally important to our quality of life. So whilst taking action is vital for the future of golf, we also have to play our part amongst communities, in business and also with governments. We have to be at the forefront of the global movement in sustainable sport and equally we should take time to proudly celebrate our positive contributions,” she said.