What is myGEO?
Sustainability is a challenge and an opportunity shared across the thousands of people and businesses that make up the global golf community. GEO works to foster and support a collaborative, practical approach that produces real results. There’s a role and reward for everyone.
Club Manager
Unlock the value in sustainability
With responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the business, balancing budgets and customer satisfaction, you can unlock the operational efficiencies, communications potential and other business and social value that good corporate responsibility and environmental action can bring.
- Learn more about the sustainable golf Action Areas.
- Quickly and easily assess your sustainability strengths and weaknesses with the GEO OnCourse™ Action Planner - only takes fifteen minutes.
- Assemble a team of colleagues and staff to take positive action - make the GEO On Course™ Pledge and begin promoting your sustainability commitment.
- Plan and achieve sustainability improvements as you step through the OnCourse™ tools and guidance and work toward GEO Certified™.
- Get ideas for practical things you can do - read about the achievements and activities of other GEO Certified™ sites.
Club President / Captain / Board Member
Inspire your management team
As an influential decision maker in your club you have an opportunity to leave a unique legacy from your term of service. Inspire and support staff and members to be ever-better stewards of your traditions and landscape while also setting in motion long-term savings through operational and resource efficiencies.
- Encourage other committee members to read about the sustainable golf Action Areas. Why not make this part of their induction to committee positions?
- Be a champion of sustainability, working with your management team get your club OnCourse and GEO Certified™ .
- Integrate sustainability into your club's vision and policies, operating to modern environmental standards and earning high regard within the local community.
- Use inter club competitions and joint functions to advocate the importance of environmental stewardship to the game of golf and share the leadership work you've been doing.
Course Manager / Greenkeeper
Manage land, resources and expectations
As a greenkeeper, course manager or superintendent you are a primary sustainability player in your golf facility, with expertise and knowledge of land and resource management - key components of sustainable golf. Delivering high quality playing surfaces with minimal use of water and chemicals, while caring for the ecology of the site, and keeping a course that members and customers are excited and proud to play.
- Complete the OnCourse™ Action Planner which helps you quickly evaluate your sustainability strengths and challenges, and communicate them to others in the management team.
- Start the GEO OnCourse™ to make your sustainability planning and improvements straightforward and practical, and after the first step, an OnCourse Pledge, start promoting and talking about your commitment to sustainability.
- Demonstrate professional leadership as a champion of sustainability in front of peers and colleagues, sharing the good work you're doing.
- Use the GEO Certified™ marketing tools to raise awareness and positivity amongst club members, visiting golfers, and the wider community.
Golf Course Architect
Design a legacy
As a key part of golf development teams with responsibility for the transformation of dozens and even hundreds of hectares of land on every project, your decisions have a direct influence on the resources consumed during construction and a life-cycle that can extend to hundreds of years. Likewise you have an incredible opportunity to safeguard and enhance the ecology and landscape character of the site, and improve the quality of air, soil and water.
- Read the GEO Legacy™ Guidance for Sustainable Golf Development.
- Make your next project a GEO Certified™ Legacy Development. Arrange an on-site screening visit to participate in the GEO Legacy™ programme.
- Adopt a sustainability policy for your practice, incorporating the Legacy Guidance.
- Become a member of a professional institute or association that advocates sustainable development education.
- Take sustainable design to the heart of your promotional messaging.
Golf Course Developer
Strive for pure profit
As a golf developer or investor you have a unique opportunity to build a lasting legacy of economic, social and environmental benefits. Place sustainability and 'eco-superiority' at the heart of your project from concept to conclusion you can save money on construction costs, pave the way for operational and resource efficiencies after opening, add value to the club's reputation while also making a positive contribution to people and the planet.
- Learn the language of sustainable golf - browse the six Action Areas.
- Read the GEO Legacy™ Guidance for sustainable golf development, and frame a vision for sustainability in your development.
- Assemble a well qualified and motivated development team - incorporating key sustainability skillsets.
- Make sure your project team follow to the GEO Legacy™ Guidance or enroll in the GEO Legacy programme to get guidance and quality assurance at important milestones throughout your project.
- Add value to your local, regional and international reputation, open your new course under the banner of GEO Certified™ Legacy Development.
Golf Course Owner
Add value and save money
Operating a profitable and successful golf business requires a balance of minimizing expenditure while maximizing visibility, reputation and overall quality of your product. Sustainability has proven to be instrumental in achieving this balance, with direct and indirect impact across a number of areas of business.
- Explore how sustainability can support profitability - read about the sustainable golf Action Areas.
- Empower your management team and staff to learn more and to take practical actions. Encourage them to start the GEO OnCourse programme and earn the GEO Certified™ ecolabel.
- Begin promoting your commitment to sustainability to members, visitors, suppliers and community after making the GEO OnCourse™ pledge.
- Share the efforts and results of your golf course with other club owners, becoming an advocate and leader in sustainable golf.
Golf Federation Executive
Promote leadership and support members
Golf associations are well placed to demonstrate sustainability leadership to member clubs and golfers, and also to national governments, environmental agencies and the general public. Promoting the proven and ready made guidelines, tools and recognition programmes provided by GEO makes it easier for Federations and member clubs to take action and gain positive publicity.
- Talk to us about becoming a GEO Golf Federation Partner to work effectively to a set of core joint actions, including the ability to integrate online support for member clubs working through the GEO programmes.
- Read about the sustainable golf Action Areas and consider integrating these into your Federation’s vision, policy, guidance, education and communications.
- Work with GEO to jointly promote GEO OnCourse™ and the GEO Certified™ ecolabel to member clubs.
- Be part of Driving the Green. Put your logo on the GEO Partners & Supporters page to support golf’s global sustainability movement and connect your actions with those of many others.
Golfer
Find out more about sustainable golf
Ask your golf club how they're working for sustainability or send a link to golfenvironment.org. And even small steps from individuals can add up to a big difference, think about ways in which you can make simple changes at home, work and play.
- Encourage your golf club to consider the GEO Oncourse programme and the GEO Certified ecolabel.
- Volunteer to become involved with the effort to make sustainability improvements at your club.
- Consider the origins of the golf products you select.
- Be proud of the part you're already playing by participating in a sport played in nature!
Government or Regulator
Understand and support golf
With planning and development decisions over new and existing golf facilities, you have the opportunity to help developers and clubs strengthen their positive contribution to people and planet. Develop an understanding of the many ways golf can deliver good.
- Read the GEO Legacy™ Guidance for sustainable golf development, especially the Regulator Resources and Conceptualization & Masterplanning sections.
- Encourage renovations and new build golf projects to participate in the GEO Legacy programme and become a GEO Certified Legacy Development.
- Encourage existing clubs to follow the GEO OnCourse programme and become GEO Certified, and make them aware of any financial aid or incentives for positive environmental and social action.
- Contact GEO to discus developing a regional or national plan or policy for golf.
Masterplanner
Design for a sustainable golf legacy
With responsibility for refining and defining the land use balance of golf developments you are influential in determining how much land is developed, how heavily it is altered, where existing habitats and ecosystems are retained, how naturally watersheds function, how much of the site is dominated by amenity grass and concrete. As you plan the spatial layout of the concept and development, you can lead golf developments towards ecologically rich outcomes.
- Read the GEO Legacy Guidance for sustainable golf development.
- Enroll your projects in the GEO Legacy™ programme and open your course as a GEO Certified™ Legacy Development.
- Adopt a sustainability policy for your practice.
- Become a member of a professional institute or association and advocate / support sustainable development education.
PGA Professional / Director of Golf
Champion sustainability
As a PGA professional and key part of the management team, you have an important role to play in decisions that affect the quality of the course, and also in terms of the amount of resources consumed and waste generated.
- Look for ways to lighten your own environmental footprint, particularly by adopting an Environmental and Ethical Procurement Policy
- Lend your full support to the club's decision to go OnCourse™ and earn the GEO Certified™ ecolabel.
- Help the management team communicate to members and visitors by dedicating some of your wall space to information, posters etc. Help to establish a sense of pride in the golf course and the clubs environmental quality.
- Encourage golfers to participate in some simple waste separation and recycling measures.
- Promote any environmental and ethical attributes of the products you stock.
Event Stagers and Sponsors
Showcase sustainability leadership
Promoters and owners of golf events occupy a unique place in the industry, generating high visibility through association with top venues, sponsors and players, directly in front of the global sports media. With ever increasing awareness and expectations amongst the public, governments and tourism organizations, it pays for golf events to showcase corporate responsibility and environmental performance.
- Visit GEO’s Events page and find out more about pioneering action in sustainable golf events.
- Encourage your venue to become GEO Certified™.
- Lighten the footprint of the temporary event. Contact GEO and we'll be happy to connect you with expert support and guidance.
- You could also work with GEO to develop partnerships around a communication and legacy plan for your event.
