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Golf Sustainable is a platform for all the news, pictures and projects concerning #sustainability in #golf and #sports. Editor is Petra Himmel.

How much will it cost? We can't afford that. ⛳

How much will it cost? We can't afford that.
⛳ These are two standard phrases we hear when it comes to adapting golf courses to climate change. Surprisingly, there is still little awareness that failure to adapt will lead to extremely high costs.
1️⃣ Because golf courses whose design, architecture and infrastructure are not optimised towards drought, heavy rain and fires will increasingly have to fight with water shortages, flooding and erosion, as well as fire damage.
2️⃣ Because sponsors and event organisers will cancel or not host events if the golf course does not deliver the necessary quality during or after extreme weather.
3️⃣ Because insurance companies will no longer issue policies or cover damage if the facility is not professionally managed.
4️⃣ Because customers will cancel their memberships or prospective customers will not become customers if a golf course does not meet sustainability standards.
🔜 The narrative urgently needs to change: Of course, the question of the amount of investment is relevant – but it is directly related to the follow-up costs that arise when a golf course is not prepared for climate change.
#golf #AdaptToClimateChange #FutureOfGolf #GolfSustainable #SustainableSport #GolfcourseDesign #GreenSports

☀️As climate change intensifies, urban heat is

☀️As climate change intensifies, urban heat islands are becoming a growing threat—particularly in city‑adjacent areas. A recent study reviewed 84 scientific papers over the past decade and found that well-designed and maintained urban green spaces can lower urban temperatures by up to 7 °C.
⛳ Golf courses, especially those near or within urban settings, offer vast green landscapes that present a unique opportunity.The golf industry can position itself as part of the solution — providing both recreational value and a vital nature‑based mitigation of urban heat. As functional green infrastructure, golf courses can help to combat urban overheating, reduce energy consumption, and improve public health.

The challenge: As trees are identified as main cooling factor on golf courses water, resources have to be sufficient and the right choice of trees is important.

#golf #greenspaces #naturebasedsolutions #urbanheat

Full article: https://lnkd.in/dwAZWxuq

🌱 How do you breed grass to meet the demands of

🌱 How do you breed grass to meet the demands of a changing climate?
Every four years, scientists from around the world gather at the International Turfgrass Research Conference to share information on the state of the art in turfgrass research. The challenges of climate change were an important topic at the recent conference in Japan.
We spoke to Anne Mette Dahl Jensen, Product Development Manager at DLF, a global turfgrass seed company, who visited the conference, about current industry trends.
In our new Golf Sustainable interview, she explains why grass breeding takes more than a decade, how genetics play a key role in sustainability, and why Europe is on the right track with strong pesticide limits.

🔬 “You cannot breed grass to be good in everything. It’s always about prioritizing what’s most important for the end user,” she says.
🌍 A must-read for anyone involved in golf course management, climate adaptation, or turf science.
🔗 Read the full interview here https://lnkd.in/d3xz2NEb
#Turfgrass #Sustainability #GolfCourseManagement #ClimateAdaptation #SportsTurf #DLFSeeds #GolfSustainable #golf

Instagram post 18017883992551623

Instagram post 18017883992551623

Two sports - one challenge: Biathlon and golf are

Two sports - one challenge: Biathlon and golf are both confronted with the consequences of extreme weather.
We talked to Herbert Fritzenwenger, longtime TV-commentator for international biathlon events as well as President of GC Ruhpolding in Bavaria, and asked which projects are necessary to future-proof these sports.

Full article: https://golfsustainable.com/en/interview-fritzenwenger-golf-and-biathlon/
#golf #biathlon #sustainablesports #golfsustainable #golfindeutschland #greensports

🌱 Cool-season grasses are bowing out in some ar

🌱 Cool-season grasses are bowing out in some areas because of changing weather conditions — and 🌞 Bermudagrass is taking over! With climate change bringing longer droughts, heavier rains and warmer winters across Europe, golf course superintendents are seeking more sustainable turf solutions. Enter Bermudagrass: science-backed trials in Italy’s Golf de Montecchia (since 2016) and on courses in France show it' can be a game-changer—saving 40–70% water. 🌿 ⛳

Driven by stricter pesticide laws like France’s 2022 Labbé restrictions, greenkeepers are innovating with tailored grass mixes—including advanced fescues and even Zoysia—to match local conditions. Experts Rémy Dorbeau and Alessandro de Luca highlight that, for real resilience, clubs need their own test plots and location-specific blends.

Fun fact: it’s not just golf—Bermudagrass is now being used in elite football training fields too, from Juventus to Verona and Bologna ⚽

Innovative, efficient and climate-smart: the future of golf lies in grasses that work *with* the environment—not against it. 💚

Foto 2 -4: Golf de Montecchia

#GolfSustainability #Bermudagrass #ClimateSmart #Greenkeeping #WaterConservation #GolfCourseInnovation #GolfSustainable #TurfScience #EcoGolf

🙂 The good news: Electric mobility is gaining g

While around 250,000 fans, 156 players and countle

While around 250,000 fans, 156 players and countless media crews gather in Royal Portrush this week for The Open, one question remains:
**How big is golf’s climate impact – and who’s measuring it?**

🏌️‍♂️ A new CO₂ calculator, developed by sustainability experts at Think Beyond, is now being used by sports giants like Wimbledon, the IBU – and LIV Golf.

✅ It tracks emissions from:
– Fan travel
– Merchandise
– Catering
– Team logistics
– and more – all based on trusted climate standards like the GHG Protocol.

Standardising measuring and a new understanding of CO2 reporting can move the golf industry forward. CO2 reporting should not be seen as a threat to one's own image, but as an opportunity to recognise potential for improvement and implement positive projects.

Standardising measuring and a new understanding of CO2 reporting can move the golf industry forward. CO2 reporting should not be seen as a threat to one's own image, but as an opportunity to recognise potential for improvement and implement positive projects.

Photo by Stuart Kerr/R&A/R&A via Getty Images

#SustainableGolf #TheOpen #CO2inGolf #GolfandClimate #GolfSustainable #RoyalPortrush #ThinkBeyond #SportsForClimateAction

🔥 Grass turning brown. Water bills skyrocketing

🔥 Grass turning brown. Water bills skyrocketing. Golf facing a hot summer in England.

On a blazing 33°C Thursday, Centre Court crowds at Wimbledon faint in the sun. A few miles away, golfers tee off at Wimbledon Common Golf Club — surrounded by scorched fairways and fading greens. 🌾

Welcome to England’s golf water crisis.

🏌️‍♂️ “We’ve already used two-thirds of our water by June,” says a private club manager. “Now it’s just a gamble.”
💷 Clubs are facing water bills of £100,000 and more at the end of this year — water once seen as ‘cheap and unlimited’ is now a luxury.
🚫 With water restrictions creeping in, nobody knows what’s coming next.
The problem: Too many English clubs rely on main water and haven't changed their water management since the last drought in 2020.
The good news: Some clubs take a leadership positions, don't use main water and reduce the consumption by building reservoirs, limiting irrigation sizes, upgrading irrigation systems and handwatering greens.

Water is no longer guaranteed. It’s no longer cheap. It’s no longer invisible.
Yet golfers still fill the tee times.
Because golf is an all-weather sport — in the rain and in the drought.
Now it’s time we made it an all-climate sport, too. 💚
#golf #golfsustainable #golfinengland #drought #watermanagement

🌍 36 tons of CO₂ per year – that’s the ca

🌍 36 tons of CO₂ per year – that’s the carbon footprint Czech golfer Sára Kousková calculated for herself last season. 🚶‍♀️✈️

With growing success on the LET and her qualification for the Amundi Evian Championship this week, she’s not just making waves on the course – she’s pushing for sustainability in professional golf. ♻️

Partnering with @sustainablegolf (GEO Foundation), she offsets her emissions via reforestation and clean cooking projects for women. And she’s not afraid to call things out: poor waste separation, missing translations, or token green gestures.

💬 “The footprint is high – too high,” she admits. But she believes every small step counts. Even if it’s just ditching single-use plastic.

#EveryStepCounts #golfsustainable #AmundiEvianChampionship #SáraKousková #LETgolf #GreenSports #ClimateAction #WomensGolf #CO2footprint #GolfWithPurpose

It's a ride on the razor's edge. 💰 Young women

It's a ride on the razor's edge.
💰 Young women embarking on an LET career today must realise that they still can't live on prize money alone on the LET Tour.
The best example: Lauren Walsh, 24 years old, number 12 in the current LET rankings. No missed cuts, 7 top tens. Her prize money earnings in 2025 are still less than 100,000 euros.
Only support programmes such as the ANNIKA Foundation, the Amundi Women Talent Program or support of national federations make it possible for her and other top-youngsters to focus on being a professional golfer.
💰 Just to compare: The number 12 players on the DP World Tour have already won about 700.000 Euros this year.
📷 Petra Himmel

#golfsustainable #golf #womeningolf #amundigermanm

#golfsustainable #golf #womeningolf #amundigermanmasters #let #amundigolf

☀️ Sun & heat = success? That was once true fo $☀️ Sun & heat = success? That was once true for golf tourism not only in Spain, Portugal, Arizona & Dubai. But times have changed. 🌡️ The Climate Risk Index 2025 now ranks Italy, Spain & Greece among the Top 10 countries globally most affected by extreme weather. 🏌️‍♂️ Golf is under pressure: • Heat + droughts = stressed turf, low turnout • Seniors & kids face health risks • Greenkeepers are exposed to extreme conditions • Clubhouses are often not built for prolonged heat 📉 The cost: • Fewer guests • Critical media articles regarding irrigation and use of water in the golf industry • Long-term financial risks 💡 *Solutions: • Climate-ready infrastructure & shaded areas • Rethink tee times, create heat strategies • Clear communication around health safety 🔗 Extreme weather is no longer tomorrow’s threat – it’s today’s challenge. Golf clubs must adapt now. 🌍 👉 Full story: Link in Bio \#Golf #ClimateRisk #ExtremeWeather #GolfSustainable #Resilience #Heatwave #SustainableGolf #GolfTourism$

🌍 Minimal Golf goes Europe! 🇪🇺 Sustainabl

🏌️‍♂️ What makes a *Top 100* course tru

✨ Good News! ✨ We’re thrilled to share a par

What is the net climate impact of golf courses?
😀 The good news, based on a recent study from Michael Bekken from NIBIO Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin-Madison: The organic carbon stock and carbon storage of golf course land were higher than on agricultural land.
😒 The bad news: Research on the two golf courses used for the research showed that both places generated more emissions than they stored carbon.
💡 Main sources of emissions: fuel consumption 54 %, use of sand 18%, fertilizer 13%. Switching from gasoline to electric mowers could result in a substantial reduction in CO2e emissions, the scientists speak about 85 %.
🔜 Conclusion: Emissions have to be reduced to meet national climate targets, also from the golf industry. There are ways to achieve it.
#golfsustainable #turfgrass #golfandnature #sportsandclimate #gogreen #greenkeeping #golfmanagement

Golf can be good for nature. One of the best examp

Golf can be good for nature. One of the best examples is the design of a new golf course in a previously agricultural area. We are always amazed at how natural the landscape at Kingsbarns Golf Links in Scotland looks—besides the fact that it is a great golf course.⛳👍
📸Petra Himmel
#golf #golfinfive #golfandecology #golfsustainable #kingsbarnsgolflinks

Instagram post 18153454384364844

Instagram post 18153454384364844

Sustainability at big golf events is no easy topic

Sustainability at big golf events is no easy topic, especially when we consider all the fan and player mobility involved. But the Dutch Ladies Open proves, again, that success is based on many different projects. ISO Certification is not very common in golf and is not easy to earn. Congratulations!
#golf #commitment #sustainableevents #certification #dutchgolf #dutchladiesopen #golfsustainable

🌱 **Drought in England: BIGGA Urges Communicati

🌱 **Drought in England: BIGGA Urges Communication** 💬

One of the driest springs in recent memory is pushing golf courses across England to their limits. The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) is calling on clubs to foster open communication between greenkeeping teams and golfers.

“Communication is key,” says David Byron, Head Greenkeeper at Thorndon Park Golf Club, where fairway moisture levels have dropped as low as 3–4% – far below the ideal 10–15%.

BIGGA encourages golfers to support their course teams and recognize the environmental challenges that are shaping course conditions.

#GolfSustainable #BIGGA #Greenkeeping #GolfCourseCare #Drought2025 #ClimateActionGolf #SustainableGolf #GolfAndNature #SupportYourGreenkeepers #WaterCrisisGolf

🏌️‍♂️ **Sustainability in Every Detail* $🏌️‍♂️ **Sustainability in Every Detail** 🌿 At Förde Golf Club Glücksburg, benches and waste bins aren't just practical – they're a testament to sustainable craftsmanship. 💪 Made by the greenkeeping team from local larch wood, these handmade pieces last for decades and cost under €100 each. No theft, no waste – just timeless function and design. 👏 A true best-practice example of how golf courses can take sustainability into their own hands. \#GolfSustainable #SustainableGolf #Greenkeeping #GolfCourseDesign #HandmadeFurniture #EcoFriendlyGolf #LocalCraftsmanship #GolfForNature #SustainableLiving #GolfCourseLife #ZeroWasteGolf #CircularEconomy #SustainabilityInSports #GolfGermany$

Top quality with limited water and exploding water

Top quality with limited water and exploding water costs - that is the challenge for golf courses in the southwest of the USA. There are solutions, but they aren't easy and cheap. Reducing turf and implementing drought areas is one of them. Monarch Beach Golf Links near San Diego is one superb example of the transformation golf clubs have to face to be fit for the future.
#water #transformation #golfincalifornia #golfsustainable #golf #golfing #greenkeeping

It can be done without chemicals: Mallorca’s Clu

It can be done without chemicals: Mallorca’s Club de Golf Alcanada has now taken up the fight against the pine processionary moth in an environmentally friendly way. With the help of renowned ornithologist Cristina Fiol from GEAN, the club has installed 30 nesting boxes on the golf course and surrounding grounds. The boxes are intended to attract two insectivorous birds to nest and breed: the Spottet Flycatcher and the Great Tit, which feeds specifically on the caterpillar of the pine processionary moth.
#golfinmallorca #alcanada #golf #golfsustainable #naturalsolutions #birds #greenkeeping #golfcourse #pestcontrol

We visited ECCO's presentation of the new Biom H5

We visited ECCO's presentation of the new Biom H5 collection and wanted to know more about the sustainability aspects:
1️⃣ The DriTan process saves vast amounts of water in leather production and was used for Biom H5.
2️⃣ The DriTan process can be used by other manufacturers too. It is distributed as open source.
3️⃣ . The leftovers from leather production are turned into yarn, which they can then use to sew shoes or produce textiles.
👏 👍 😊
Full story: https://golfsustainable.com/en/dritan-saves-millions-liters-of-water-2/
#sustainablefashion #sustainability #circularconomy #responsibleleather #golf

Will there be a complete ban on pesticides for spo

Will there be a complete ban on pesticides for sports fields in Europe or not?
This issue has been a major concern for football and golf associations for two years. Now, the ban process is at a standstill, and the EU Commission, it seems, is on the defensive. The crucial question is: do we believe in this scenario as a permanent solution and continue to use pesticides as before, or do we use the time to reposition ourselves in a new and more sustainable way? A question that should not only be asked of golf course operators but also of all those responsible for football stadiums. How will the high-performance turf of the future be maintained?
#SustainableSports #PesticideBan #GreenTurf #golf #SportsSustainability #FutureOfTurf #greenkeeping #soccer

What factors control biodiversity on golf courses?

What factors control biodiversity on golf courses? A team of European scientists from Norway, Sweden, Great Britain and Germany is currently investigating this question as part of the GolfLandscapes project. 40 golf clubs are involved. Over a period of three years plants and birds are monitored. More understanding about possibilities to improve biodiversity on the golf courses is the target. The project is supported by the The R&A and STERF.
#golf #golfsustainable #STERF #Turfgrass #greenkeeping #golfandnature #biodiversity

⛳ On the surface, it's ‘good figures and busin

⛳ On the surface, it's ‘good figures and business as usual’. The GCSAA conference - the meeting of the turfgrass industry - shows first and foremost that the golf industry in the USA is thriving. .

❗ However, the elephant in the room at the four-day event in San Diego sits in Washington and is Donald Trump: in an industry in which a significant proportion of the low-cost greenkeeping labour force has a migrant background, the migration debate is a real issue.

And that's not all: the question of how the E.P.A as the regulatory authority for pesticides and the national and regional water authorities will act in future in a political environment in which climate change has often been dismissed as pure nonsense is essential and economically relevant. After all, the water budget of the average 18-hole course in the Southwest of the USA is between 600,000 and 1.5 million dollars.

1️⃣ Autonomous mowing: Anyone waiting for Toro, John Deere or Jacobsen to make a grand entrance was disappointed. The market is starting to grow, but the established manufacturers are clearly struggling with the topic, while curiosity about the small robotic mowers from Husqvarna and Kress is growing among golf clubs.

2️⃣ Drones are the device of the future. They are comparatively inexpensive, easy to handle, and versatile regarding data acquisition.

3️⃣ Water is irreplaceable for golf, which is why the focus is on innovatively reprocessing it, breaking it down, and making it ideal for soil and plants.

4️⃣ The pesticide industry in the US is in good spirits - I recommend a study trip to Europe 😇

5️⃣ One thing is certain: The time when impressive large machines and mowers set the tone is over. Data experts and scientists are laying the foundations for quality, and all those greenkeepers who join forces with them will become stars of the industry.

#golfsustainable #GolfIndustry #TurfManagement #Sustainability #Greenkeeping #WaterManagement #GolfCourseDesign #AutonomousTechnology #DronesInAgriculture #SportsTurf #ClimatePolicy #golfsustainable #golf

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