Golf Environment

Driving the Green

Among all sport and business, golf has a unique

opportunity to make a powerful difference.

Every golf club and new development can be a

responsible, resource efficient business set in an

ecologically rich landscape. Every golf event can be a

showcase for sustainability. Every golfer can play a

part, from juniors to international superstars. On a

collective scale this positive impact and example has

great potential.

Helping the golf community tap into that potential is

why GEO was founded and remains our passion today.

GOLF ENVIRONMENT ORGANIZATION

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Imagine what coming together around golf’s

sustainability movement could mean. Real results

and powerful communications.

With programmes for golf course management,

renovation and new development, and the staging of

golf events, the Golf Environment Organization aims

to help bring this about, promoting, supporting and

rewarding credible sustainability action.

With a positive and collaborative approach we are

proud to serve people in and around golf from

greenkeepers and course owners; land developers

and governments; national federations and

governing bodies; constructors and architects;

professionals and everyday players. Our work is

possible with investment and input from these

stakeholders.

PROMOTE Inspiring golf to embrace sustainability,

GEO works to raise awareness; make the most of

decades of industry research; and promote a shared

understanding and collective progress.

SUPPORT Providing guidance and programmes for

real-world solutions. Bringing forward a global

network of independent sustainable golf expertise.

Integrating partner-to-member support.

REWARD GEO Certified™ is golf’s international

ecolabel; the mark of sustainable golf. Practical,

credible and comprehensive; rewarding continual

improvement.

UNITE Connecting golf’s sustainability commitment

and effort shares a strong story. Capturing

knowledge, fostering discussion, providing a role

and reward for everyone.

Find out more at golfenvironment.org

For Sustainability. For Golf. For You.

Driving the Green requires the support of many people, organizations and associations. We encourage you to find out more about our partners and their commitment to sustainable golf.

© Aidan Bradley

What is Sustainable Golf?For hundreds of years golf has given rise to many social

and environmental benefits. Protection of coastal zones

and urban greenspace, improved air and water quality,

employment, community, and a healthy, inter-

generational sport set in nature.

Golf offers a great deal of good for people and places.

Yet as society begins to integrate sustainability into

more aspects of life, expectations are ever higher.

Golf is well positioned to meet this challenge, for the

welfare of society... and the good of the game. Building

sustainability into your business can unlock cost-

savings, improved reputation, operational efficiencies,

and customer attraction and loyalty.

Realizing this potential, individually and collectively, is

well within reach and GEO is dedicated to supporting

people throughout the golf community as they

continually improve their performance across the six

areas that comprise Sustainable Golf.

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Action Areas

LANDSCAPE & ECOSYSTEMS Protecting green-

spaces and coastlines, enhancing degraded land

and landscapes, enriching biological diversity;

improving the function of ecosystems.

WATER Contributing to the natural function of

watersheds, enhancing water quality, avoiding the

use of high quality water, and minimizing all water

consumption.

ENERGY & RESOURCES Integrating passive design

principles, focusing on the reduction of energy

demand, minimizing turfgrass area and striving to

export renewable energies.

PRODUCTS & SUPPLY CHAINS Reducing the

embedded energy of goods and materials; applying

ethical and environmental procurement filters;

choosing recycled and recyclable materials.

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Improving air, soil and

water quality; creating stable, naturalized

greenspace for people and wildlife; helping to

transform degraded and contaminated land.

PEOPLE & COMMUNITIES Delivering jobs, careers,

education, health, social interaction,

volunteering, charitable contributions and

infrastructure benefits in rural and urban areas.

Find out more at golfenvironment.org

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GOLF’S ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVE has

worldwide momentum. Clubs are

embracing sustainability to save

money, exceed member and customer

expectations, set their course apart,

gain distinction, and of course to help

protect the planet.

For many golf course and club

managers the challenge is knowing

what to do and how to start. Welcome

to GEO OnCourse™. A streamlined,

practical on-line programme to help

you plan and carry out sustainability

improvements appropriate for your

site. The step-by-step OnCourse

Guidance will put your course in the

spotlight as GEO Certified™.

Straightforward process. Realistic

expectations. Cost-saving solutions.

International recognition.

Sustainable Golf Course & Club Management

Five Steps to Excellence & RecognitionACTION PLANNER Quickly identify strengths and

weaknesses while you create a customized OnCourse

Action Plan.

ONCOURSE PLEDGE join golf clubs around the world in

promoting your environmental commitment to

members and customers.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDANCE the heart of the process –

clear, online forms to complete at your convenience

or divide among team members.

ON-SITE EVALUATION a sustainable golf expert from

the GEOSA Network will verify your application and

provide a three-year Continual Improvement Plan.

GEO CERTIFIED international distinction for earning

the most comprehensive, credible environmental

certification in world golf.

Easier Plan• Clear, step-by-step

guidance

• Ongoing practical results

• Staff engaged in

coordinated effort

Stronger Profile• International recognition

• Boost member /

community relations

• Enhance your course’s

natural assets

Greater Profit• Lower resource use

• Reallocated maintenance

time

• Secure grants / no-

interest loans

GOLF ENVIRONMENT ORGANIZATION25 Westgate, North BerwickScotland EH39 4AG +441620 895100

The GEO Certified™ Ecolabel THE MARK of sustainability that

golf businesses can promote with

absolute confidence.

Environmental performance is a

keystone issue for society, one

that engages members and

customers, builds relationships

with communities and

government, and can connect

golf clubs with new audiences.

For every golf business

sustainability is an ongoing

opportunity. GEO Certified™ is a

launchpad to maximize the

potential in your marketing

communications.

PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL

STEWARDSHIP as an integral part

of the golf experience you offer,

showcase ethical purchasing at

point of sale, tell customers

about the natural and cultural

heritage you conserve. Enrich

their experience and affirm that

golf brings global benefits, not

costs.

Trust GEO Certified to credibly

carry all these meaningful and

valuable messages across your

internal and external

communications.

Inspire Members & Customers

Find out more at golfenvironment.org/oncourse

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A GOLF DEVELOPMENT that is well

planned, designed, constructed and

managed can multiply valuable socio-

economic and environmental benefits—

both short and long-term.

The professionals involved in golf

development have an opportunity and

responsibility to maximize resource

efficiency, enhance environmental

quality and improve the lives of people in

local communities; to leave a positive

legacy from a moment in time.

THE MODERN SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA

now influences government and

consumers, with corporate responsibility

and environmental stewardship

expected.

Integrating credible, comprehensive and

practical sustainability decisions into the

heart of a project helps developers meet

these expectations, avoid reputational

risks, and gain significant bottom line

benefits—during early capital investment

and ongoing operations.


Find out more at golfenvironment.org/legacy

Sustainable Golf Development &

Renovation

Award Winning Sustainable Golf DevelopmentPREPARING GOLF DEVELOPMENT TEAMS to

achieve the highest social, economic and

environmental return on investment, the GEO

Legacy Guidance translates the latest

sustainability principles into practical solutions;

remaining flexible to trade-offs that arise in

every project.

Written by a group of international sustainability

experts, with consultation from many of the

world’s top architects, the guidance moves

gradually through the why and how of

sustainable golf development. With sustainability

considered from the start, development teams

can harness the natural and cultural assets of

every site, building outstanding golf experiences

that gain from a unique sense of place.

BUILDING ON THE LEGACY GUIDANCE, the new

GEO Legacy programme helps project teams

plan, deliver and articulate the social and

environmental value of their project from

concept to conclusion, leading to the prestigious

award of GEO Certified™ Legacy Development.

The programme content supports streamlined

reporting at milestone stages combined with

informed and constructive input from a

specialized accredited verifier from the network

of GEO Sustainability Associates, GEOSA.

The process generates comprehensive and

customized sustainability statements for the

project, supported by third party professional

endorsement. This approach helps developers,

regulators and stakeholders connect, find

common goals and solutions, and avoid

protracted conflict.

The GEO Certified™ Legacy Development award

showcases leadership, spotlighting the creativity

and responsibility behind the planning, design

and construction of a profitable, resource

efficient and ecologically rich new golf

environment.

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High Quality Support

‣ Cost-effective, targeted advice, on the

ground or on-line

‣ Guiding your progression from OnCourse™

to GEO Certified™

‣ Assisting your team-building &

sustainability planning

‣ Saving money, managing risk, enhancing

your golfing landscape & reputation

Credible Certification

‣ Accredited to undertake on-site

evaluation for GEO Certified™ applicants

‣ Public report endorsing your

sustainability performance

‣ 3 year continual improvement plan with

all verification visits

‣ Transparent seperation of advisory /

certification services

ACCREDITED

THE GEOSA NETWORK is an international community of highly

experienced technical experts, specializing in the business of

sustainable golf and trained in GEO’s certification programming.

GEO Sustainability Associates are accredited to undertake on-

site verification visits for GEO Certified™ applicants, the most

productive, credible and comprehensive certification in golf

today.

In addition GEOSA can provide relevant, targeted and practical

sustainabiility advice - supporting golf clubs in improving their

business performance and corporate responsibility.

‣ Environmental Science

‣ Management Planning

‣ Landscape Architecture

‣ Land-use Planning

‣ Recycling & Waste

Management

‣ Environmental Engineering

‣ Energy, Resource Use &

Carbon Management

‣ Ecological Design &

Management

‣ Hydrology

‣ Sustainable Supply Chains &

Ethical Purchasing

SUSTAINABILITY MAKES MONEY AND SAVES MONEY All accredited

GEOSA have practical experience and academic and professional

qualifications across a wide range of disciplines, including:

GEO Sustainability Associates

Added Value for GolfSUSTAINABILITY is a priority area for

the golf industry. In addition to their

primary role as Accredited Verifiers

for GEO’s programming, GEOSA

members are also available for:

SUPPORT investment in GEOSA

expertise can deliver returns for the

product, profile and profit of any

golf business.

ADVOCACY GEOSA Network

members are passionate and

knowledgable, working to raise

awareness and inspire golf’s

sustainability movement.

EDUCATION bring sustainability

expertise to your conference,

seminar, workshop, webinar or field

outing with GEOSA support.

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Find out more at golfenvironment.org/geosa

GEO IS COMMITTED TO PARTNERING throughout the global golf

community in raising standards, providing productive solutions and

credibly recognizing sustainability performance, GEO is supported by

a worldwide network of partners, patrons, scientists, thought

leaders, industry representatives and major golf, government and

environmental organizations.

ACCREDITED