Driving the Green

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Nefyn Golf Club, Wales

Golf can be a leader in sustainable sport and business
Universally valued for good environmental and social contributions
The Golf Environment Organization is dedicated to that potential

You're invited to help golf Drive the Green. GEO is supported by stakeholders across the global golf community to build awareness and understanding, provide practical programmes and reward results with the GEO Certified™ ecolabel. Together we can do great things for the welfare of society and the good of the game.

Green Future for Development

Guidance for sustainable golf development

Sustainable Golf Development: Creating a Positive Legacy is now in Chinese and English and available in e-reader, download, and print editions.

Launched at the China Golf Show, the guidance helps people integrate sustainability throughout golf development and renovation, creating resource-efficient, ecologically rich, and community integrated golf facilities. Delivered with support from many industry stakeholders.

St Andrews GEO Certified™

The Home of Golf is Driving the Green

Peter Dawson and George O'Grady joined Euan Loudon and GEO's Jonathan Smith to recognize the sustainability commitment and leadership of The Links Trust in St Andrews.

The GEO Certified™ Reports from St Andrews Links and The Castle Course represent many years of social and environmental responsibility, and pave the way for further achievement across the Trust's operations.

Global Partnership with Jacobsen

Turf equipment manufacturer supporting GEO

One of the major players in turf maintenance equipment is aiming to accelerate the sustainability drive of the golf industry through a new global partnership agreement with GEO.

This will see the organizations broaden their collaboration to jointly promote awareness, understanding and solutions in the Americas and Asia as well as Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Burhill Golf goes OnCourse™

Ten courses working to become GEO Certified™

Burhill Golf & Leisure, a leading golf course owner and operator in the UK, has become the world’s first multi-course owning business to enrol in the GEO OnCourse™ Programme.

Colin Mayes, Burhill CEO (left) and Kelli Jerome of GEO made the announcement at the European Golf Business Conference, supported by Lodewijk Klootwijk, CEO of the EGCOA.

Sustainable Golf in China

GEO Certified™ Ecolabel in Mainland PRC

The end of 2011 has seen the GEO Certified™ ecolabel debut in mainland China. The management team at Jinji Lake Golf Club, pictured, is the first in the People's Republic to achieve the award.

In October, the Asia Golf Show in Guangzhou also saw GEO’s Jonathan Smith join a panel discussion with Joe Steranka from the PGA of America, Dominic Wall of The R&A, and Rhett Evans of the GCSAA.

Official Green Drive Review

Read About the Greenest Ryder Cup Ever

Green Drive

The 2010 Ryder Cup left a significantly lighter environmental footprint thanks to a pioneering Green Drive. Coordinated activity among sponsors, contractors and suppliers enabled a carbon footprint reduction of 31%, and 87% re-use and recycling.

The official Ryder Cup 2010 Green Drive Review and can now be downloaded from europeantour.com or golfenvironment.org

The R&A Announce Support

Governing body backs GEO's work

Peter Dawson and Jonathan Smith

Jonathan Smith joined R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson in St. Andrews for the announcement of a multi-year agreement to support GEO's work helping golf to embrace sustainability.

Directly benefitting GEO’s Golf Association Partners and the many clubs working to achieve the GEO Certified™ award, R&A funding will help GEO to continue providing sustainability support for golf.

Green Drive at WCSE 2011

Review Shared at Olympic Conference

WCSE 2011

The 2010 Ryder Cup Green Drive Review was previewed at the 9th World Conference on Sport & Environment. After presenting RC2010 goals at WCSE 2009 in Vancouver, GEO visited Doha to update sport environment leaders on staging achievements.

Pictured are Masato Mizuno, IOC Sport Environment Commission, Theodore Oben, UNEP and Benjamin Warren, GEO.

UPS & GEO Innovation Awards

Winners recognized at PGA Championship

GEO UPS Awards

The achievements of three sustainable golf pioneers were recognized at European Tour HQ during The BMW PGA Championship by GEO and one of their Premier Partners, global logistics company UPS.

The Dutch Golf Federation, STERF and FEGGA President Stig Persson were presented with stunning prints of North Berwick West Links painted by Sir John Lavery.

Sustainable Golf in Iceland

Sixty-five clubs make GEO OnCourse™ Pledge

Iceland Pledge

Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson and Environment Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir attended receptions to recognize a new commitment from Golfsamband Íslands, the golf federation of Iceland.

Sixty-five golf clubs made the GEO OnCourse™ Pledge and are working to achieve the GEO Certified™ ecolabel, supported by the federation and GEOSA Network.

Orange Golf Turning Green

23 Clubs GEO Certified™ In Netherlands

Thanks to the long-term commitment and investment of the Nederlandse Golf Federatie, the Dutch now lead the world in clubs that have achieved GEO’s internationally recognized sustainable golf ecolabel.

Among the golf clubs to achieve the GEO Certified™ award are Noordwijkse, Kennemer, Koninklijke Haagsche and Hilversumsche, the current home of the KLM Dutch Open.

COP16 at GEO Certified™ Resort

Moon Palace hosts world leaders in Cancun

Moon Palace GEO Certified

The world’s environmental leaders convened for the UN's COP16 convention in Cancun, tackling the global challenges of climate change at a point of interface between biodiversity rich jungle and two of the world’s greenest golf courses. 

Bordering the mesoamericano reef and a significant area of mangrove swamps, Moon Palace showcases the restoration and enhancement of ecosystems through golf.