Scottish golf leads the way on drive to go green
Sport’s push for sustainability recognised with award
WE all have to understand our environmental responsibilities. This correspondent, for instance, often gets told that my scribblings in this supplement are completely unsustainable. Presumably, a rocket up the you- know- what from the sports editor comes with a sizeable carbon footprint? Well, it certainly felt like it did.
All of which brings us clanking awkwardly into this latest emission; golf and its environmentally friendly endeavours. The other week, at a swanky, glass- clinking shin- dig in Edinburgh, a major, multistakeholder project, co- ordinated by the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf, won the first Sustainability in Scottish Sport Award.
During a hectic spell for the Royal & Ancient game in their homeland, which was as jam- packed as Greta Thunberg’s broon wheelie bin, seven showpiece events took place between July and October this year. The Genesis Scottish Open, the 150th Open, the Senior Open, the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open, the AIG Women’s Open, the Hero Open and the Dunhill Links Championship were all staged on Scottish soil.
The quality of the competition was undeniable. The qualities of sustainable action, meanwhile, were just as eye- catching, hence the recognition.
“The eyes of the world were on Scotland and we were very proud to be part of that collective effort,” said Roddy Williams of the GEO Foundation, the non- profit organisation at the forefront of golf’s green drive.
Williams, the son of the decorated golf correspondent Michael, spent over 20 years as a press officer with the European – now DP World – Tour.
“As a press officer I was always focused on what was happening
inside the ropes, now I’m thinking about everything going on outside of them,” he added.
And there is plenty going on. “Golf has one of the closest links to nature of any sport,” said Williams. “The golf courses of Scotland have been around for hundreds of years. In many ways they are the epitome of sustainability.
“We are now well into this UN Decade of Action so the clock is ticking. There is momentum in golf at all levels from clubs at the grassroots right through to major championships. It’s become such a key part of decision making at the top too. Events are now looked at through a sustainability lens.”
That, of course, can take many forms. The use of electric mowers at July’s Open, for instance, may not have grabbed as many headlines as Cameron Smith’s rampaging run to the Claret Jug but it was highly significant.
“All the Scottish events switched to bio- fuel rather than traditional diesel so straight away that brings a 93 per cent reduction in carbon emissions,” noted Williams.
When Scotland became the first part of the UK to put a ban on single- use plastics in June, the GEO Foundation rejoiced, even if some of the muttering golf writers were left cursing the flimsy wooden cutlery that would snap halfway through stabbing a chicken breast in the media canteen.
“We had been championing a move away from single- use plastic for a long time and seeing those summer events adopt it and adapt quickly to the change was very pleasing,” said Williams of a series of championships that adopted a zero- waste- to- landfill policy.
But what happens when the
golfing circus packs up and leaves town? Well, there is now a concerted effort to make full use of the odds, sods, bits and bobs that are scattered around when the show is over.
“The after- life of an event is an important issue,” said Williams. “So, for example, we worked with community groups like Men’s Sheds who would come and take away bits of wood, nuts, bolts, screws, flooring, boarding, all sorts of things.
“The carpets in various hospitality units can be re- used in community housing projects too. We’re seeing a lot more initiatives like this. In previous years it would have been a case of stripping all the infrastructure down and tossing it in a skip.
“But there’s been a change of thinking and people now ask ‘ how can we use this to benefit others?’. That’s a great change. There’s a collective will, not just from tournament organisers, but the wider community, to promote and enhance the sustainable message.
“Golf has such a great opportunity to tackle climate change while protecting and enhancing the nature in its area. The summer of golf has shown what can be done.”
Scotland’s golf courses have been around for hundreds of years. In many ways they are the epitome of sustainability