GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation launches Sustainable Golf Pledge
GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, working in collaboration with national and international golf bodies around the world and taking ongoing feedback from golf facilities in dozens of countries, launched the Sustainable Golf Pledge.
According to GEO, the pledge enables any golf facility to make a clear and meaningful commitment to sustainability, helping engage staff, members and local stakeholders.
The pledge leads straight into the free OnCourse software program that clubs use to review best practices, track key data, access custom sustainability reports and gather the information needed for certification.
“Regular, collaborative upgrades are essential to keep the whole pathway and system aligned with evolving needs of golf and the ever-changing sustainability landscape,” said Carole Kerrey, director of impact, GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation. “This round of improvements is driven by adding more value to course and club managers while also delivering on the ever-increasing credibility expectations of governments and communities.”
A number of significant upgrades have been made to OnCourse, including:
- Tools, Templates and Guidance: The guidance has been completely updated, including new calculators for waste estimates and pesticide use, as well as templates for resource management and biodiversity policies.
- Personalized Action Planners: Updated ‘best practices’ make possible the introduction of tailored action plans, complementing the existing Sustainable Golf Scorecard reports. Bespoke action plans will help clubs prioritize improvements based on the actions recorded in OnCourse — like a “Sustainability Strokesaver” — helping facilities to see where they can improve their performance.
- Updated Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Updated turfgrass management resources align with evolving IPM principles and regulatory requirements, helping courses adopt best practices and anticipate changes.
- Powering Data Insights: Upgraded software architecture also enables the integration and analysis of diverse data sets — ranging from club performance data to open-source climate data. New themed surveys can also now feed industry databases at local, national and international levels. These further improvements, tested over recent years, strengthen data tracking and visualization for both facilities and industry groups to put golf at the forefront of sustainability data insights and reporting.
- Alignment with Global Initiatives: OnCourse provides frameworks for tracking and enhancing biodiversity, as well as calculating and reducing carbon footprints. The OnCourse upgrades, alongside other tools in the Sustainable Golf Pathway, now strongly demonstrate how golf’s contributions align with global environmental efforts, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals, UN Sport for Climate Action, the movement towards ‘nature positive’ land uses and businesses, and rapidly evolving Green Claims regulations.
Clubs that join the pledge and OnCourse are also represented alongside a growing community on the Sustainable Golf Leaderboard.
“The whole system is built around a practical and accessible framework of priority issues spanning nature, resources, climate and community, and underpinned by the externally accredited golf-industry Standard for Sustainable Golf Clubs and Courses,” adds Robbie Fitzpatrick, impacts lead at GEO. “This foundation of credibility is more important than ever for clubs and countries, as expectations rise in voluntary and regulatory reporting, and also in communications and claims. We’re excited to support more clubs in the future to get involved in sustainable golf, use the system to strengthen their businesses, have an even greater impact in society, and gain recognition as genuine leaders in their communities.”
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