Your next vacation is coming up. You want to plan it so your carbon footprint doesn’t skyrocket. After all, it’s not about banning the golf community from travelling; it’s about encouraging conscious choices. Here are 10 strategies to make your golf vacation more sustainable.
“Staycation”: the good is so close
Before planning a long-distance trip, it is worth considering regional alternatives. The carbon footprint is drastically reduced if the journey is short. For nearby destinations, transportation typically accounts for only a small fraction of the overall balance, whereas for long-distance destinations, it often accounts for over 70%.
Rail instead of road or flight
The choice of transportation is crucial. Admittedly, travelling by train and bus with large golf luggage is a hassle. However, many golf resorts now offer first-class rental clubs so that you can travel light. If you prefer to travel by car, the electric version is a good option. And if you’re not alone in the car, but have a passenger, you’re setting a positive example.
Rethinking luxury: hotel vs. vacation home
The type of accommodation has a massive impact. An overnight stay in a 5-star hotel with a large spa generates CO2 emissions that, according to the University of Innsbruck’s CO2 calculator, can be up to six times higher than those of an overnight stay in a vacation apartment. If you do without unnecessary luxury, you may save more CO₂ than by choosing your means of transportation.
If flying, then without detours
If a flight is unavoidable, consistently book direct flights. A large proportion of emissions is generated during take-off and landing. Every stopover disproportionately increases the impact on the climate. Fortunately, some search portals, such as Google Flights, show the footprint of travel.
Effectively offsetting emissions
Offsetting is an important intermediate step in offsetting unavoidable emissions. Almost all flight providers now offer flight offsetting, as do many tour operators.
Choose sustainably certified resorts
When booking, look for certifications and the resort’s commitment. Many resorts are already focusing on waste avoidance, ecological transformation and doing without plastic. Support businesses that are actively working on their green future. How can you recognise them? Certifications such as GreenKey are a good indication. Europe’s largest tour operator TUI also lists sustainable alternatives, as does the booking portal Booking.com. Expedia, on the other hand, does not provide any quick information. At least as a first point of reference, these assessments of the tour operators are good.
Optimising mobility on site
Rental cars (gasoline) make up between 2% and 15% of the balance on site. Check whether the resort offers shuttle services.
Acting consciously on site
You can also cut a good ecological figure on vacation if you opt for a plant-based diet or fill your own bottle with water instead of using disposable plastic bottles on site. But your footprint also depends on how you move around the golf course. Walking is the responsible – and healthy – alternative to carting.
No short trips by plane
Travel longer and less. The absolute killer in terms of footprint is a short plane trip over a weekend or for a few days. If you eliminate this product from your booking behaviour, you have already taken the first step.
Create awareness
Perfection is not the goal, but talking about conscious decisions is changing the industry. Those who talk about their vacation decisions become role models and create imitators.
Conclusion: Every trip leaves its mark. But by choosing nearby destinations, environmentally friendly means of transport and the right accommodation, the CO₂ emissions of a golf vacation can often be more than halved. Offsetting is a temporary solution, but the goal remains to reduce at the source.
