Celina Sattelkau, a German professional golfer, is a member of the EcoAthletes association. EcoAthletes is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization founded in 2020 that supports athletes in publicly advocating for climate and environmental protection. Among the most well-known EcoAthletes are several Olympic champions and medalists, including two-time Olympic sailing champion Hannah Mills and Etienne Stott, Olympic champion in canoe slalom. Sattelkauf also serves as a Sustainable Golf Champion for the Sustainable Golf Association (GEO) and the Ladies European Tour.
Celina, why did you join the EcoAthletes?
Sattelkau: I was already very involved in sustainability at Vanderbilt University—I took courses on environmental issues and led projects—but I wasn’t part of the EcoAthletes yet. After college, it was clear that I wanted to become a professional athlete and didn’t have time to pursue a PhD or do an internship in the field. I looked into alternatives and came across the EcoAthletes. For me, getting involved with them was a really cool move because there are so many top-level athletes and Olympic champions there who combine the highest level of athletic performance with the highest level of commitment.
How do you interact with the other athletes?
Sattelkau: For example, we have the Locker Room Chats, where we can learn from one another and where experts are often invited to participate. This creates a network that can then lead to new projects. There are now five female golfers involved.
All of the EcoAthletes in golf are women. Why does the topic appeal more to women?
Sattelkau: I believe that women tend to be at a slight disadvantage worldwide anyway, and that’s why we’re more sensitive to issues like inequality and injustice. Sustainability is also an issue of inequality when we consider the differences between the Global North and the Global South.
Internationally, there isn’t a single well-known professional athlete who publicly advocates for issues like environmental protection or sustainability—why not?
Sattelkau: I think that when we compare golf to sports like volleyball, track and field, basketball, or soccer, golf tends to be on the more conservative side. Since the topic of sustainability is often viewed through a political lens and is frequently associated with the left wing politics, I can imagine that this is why fewer people in golf are actively advocating for it.
As a professional athlete, you operate within a system that isn’t sustainable at first glance because it involves extensive travel and large-scale events. How do you deal with this conflict?
Sattelkau: That’s true. People often say, “You’re a professional athlete—what do you know about sustainability?” But I believe climate change is a structural problem. I find the argument that “you shouldn’t talk about climate change because you travel so much around the world” difficult to accept. I’m also now active with the British organisation GEO as a Sustainable Golf Champion, and last year I offset all my emissions through carbon credits.
You were able to choose the project yourself that would receive the compensation funds. What did you decide on?
Sattelkau: I chose a wind energy project in India because I find the topic of renewable energy incredibly interesting. Plus, we played in India as part of the tour, and it’s a developing country—it all just fit together perfectly. Also, when it comes to energy, I think it’s important that it’s not only a more sustainable source, but that the use of renewable energy sources also creates better jobs, so that the social aspect is included as well.
As a pro, what options do you have for making your tournament participation more sustainable?
Sattelkau: When we play in Europe, I try to drive an electric car. I could fly there, but I actually drive an electric car to all tournaments because it leaves a smaller carbon footprint. Of course, I can’t exactly walk or drive to a tournament in Australia.
Other than that, I do little things like this: I brought my own refillable water bottle, of course. I was vegan for many years—unfortunately, I’m not anymore for health reasons—but I try not to eat meat all the time. As a professional athlete, you naturally have to figure out where performance and sustainability can go hand in hand. At a tournament in India, for example, we had the problem that many players got sick due to issues with the water used for refilling.
When choosing sponsors, do you consider whether they are sustainable?
Sattelkau: As a second-year pro, I’m finding it really hard to find sponsors in general. For example, I tried to find a sustainability partner, but the company I approached didn’t have the budget.
How do your female colleagues feel about the topic of golf and environmental protection?
Sattelkau: Well, I see my role as a sort of bridge to the other players. It starts, for example, with the LET’s emails on sustainability. Most of the field would probably say, “I don’t care about that.” For example, at the tournament in Mauritius, we learned a lot about water management. I see my role a bit like a spokesperson: How can I perhaps bring this up with the players during small talk at dinner, so that there’s simply more awareness of it?
Do you generally find it difficult to communicate about sustainability?
Sattelkau: My impression is that it’s often politicized and labeled as a left-wing issue. Yes, I think it’s often highly politicized and moralized. Along the lines of: “So, you want sustainability, okay, but then you can’t eat meat anymore and you have to do this and that.”
I find that kind of a shame.
Can golf play a positive role in raising awareness about environmental issues?
Sattelkau: I think so, because we’ve reached a point where golf is being significantly affected by climate change. We’re facing problems with extreme weather at so many tournaments. We’re affected by this, and at the same time we have to make sure we’re making it more environmentally friendly by incorporating more biotopes or paying attention to water and fertilizer consumption
American golf courses generally use significantly more water, fertilizer, and pesticides than courses in Germany, but the quality of the courses is usually much higher as well. As a professional, what’s your take on this? Would you be willing to do without perfect playing surfaces?
Sattelkau: We recently had a long discussion with an agronomist from the R&A about how to manage a course more sustainably while also creating better playing surfaces. I believe we can achieve both. That’s why I love links golf so much—because they’re great golf courses that are so deeply integrated with nature.
You also played in the German Golf League for several years, where thousands of plastic bottles and wrappers are seen on the golf courses every tournament weekend. Do you think this should change?
Sattelkau: Yes, but I think we shouldn’t hold the players responsible. This is an infrastructure issue, and the organisers need to sort it out. As for the players themselves, their job is to get the golf ball into the hole.
Do you have a role model in your role as an Ecoathlete and Sustainable Golf Champion?
Sattelkau: Yes, Sara Kouskova. She’s a successful athlete, has competed in the Olympics, and has already broken down barriers in sustainability. I want to use my role as a professional athlete—and the public influence I may have—to make a positive impact, just as she has.
