ÖGV wants to start with GEO certification

The topic of sustainability in golf should be given more weight in Austria . According to Robert Fiegl, Secretary General of the Austrian Golf Association , the ÖGV will start a cooperation with the British certifier GEO . As Fiegl told the Austrian magazine Simply Golf, an increased exchange of experiences between the facilities on individual sustainability issues is particularly important to him.

In addition, he hopes to get more information for the golf courses on topics such as CO2 neutrality from entering the certification program. However, Fiegl does not want to take over the GEO program of the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf in England one-to-one but relies on an individual adaptation to Austrian needs. GEO is the largest certifier in golf and, in addition to numerous golf courses in Great Britain, also looks after golf clubs from SwissGolf, for example.

The fact that sustainability issues are receiving increasing attention in the Austrian golf scene is noticeable in several areas. While the Austrian magazine Simply Golf dedicated eleven pages to the topic in its March 2022 issue, more and more golf courses are also specifically addressing issues such as promoting biodiversity, avoiding plastic or improving water management.