Sustainability
©Getty Images
United to make a real difference
For hundreds of years golf has given rise to social and environmental benefits. Continuing and improving on this tradition is more important than ever at a time when sustainability has become a critical global priority.
The IGF and its member organisations are united in their focus on sustainability, recognising the important role golf can play, as a growing international sport, tightly intertwined with landscapes and communities.
Sustainable golf can be widely and credibly embraced across the industry – in the operations of existing courses, the design and construction of new developments, and in the venues and staging of tournaments.
Sustainability is a great fit for golf
©Getty Images
Environmental and social stewardship has always been close to the heart of golf. Great golf respects its surroundings and honours the natural environment. As a green space, often in the middle of towns or cities, it provides natural habitats and ecosystems, improving the overall quality and treading lightly on natural resources. And fitting into the surrounding communities, golf provides employment, recreation and education.
Landscapes & Ecosystems
Landscapes and ecosystems cover the surface of the earth, connecting everything, providing the canvas on which we live, work and play. Great golf enhances landscapes and ecosystems, creating and sustaining beautiful and biologically rich open spaces.
Water
©Getty Images
Water is a critical commodity our societies must conserve and use responsibly. Golf can demonstrate leadership in sustainable water management in a number of ways, some followed successfully by course managers for years, others made possible through new innovations.
Energy & Resources
The global population and its demand for energy increases every day. How we meet that demand is the critical issue. Golf is responding across a wide range of areas from low resource turfgrass to energy for the clubhouse and machinery.
Products & Supply Chains
The products and services that golf uses need to be carefully considered to ensure a fair deal for businesses and for our planet. More and more golf businesses are mindful of their chain of supply when purchasing. It’s often only a small mind-shift that can make a big difference.
Environmental Quality
©Getty Images
From manufacturing, processing and distribution of products, to the use of chemicals and fertiliser, to the cultivation of turf and seed and the way buildings are designed and managed, it all influences our world. A well planned, designed, constructed and managed golf facility can improve air, water and soil quality through sustained, consistent land and resource management.
For more information, read the Affordable Golf Facility Development and visit http://www.golfenvironment.org/
