During the recent International Summit on Golf Course Management held in Jönköping, Sweden, organizations representing greenkeepers at two-thirds of the world’s golf courses affirmed their commitment to ensuring golf’s compatibility with the environment and identifying professional standards for those who manage golf.
Representatives from the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and the Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Association signed two documents ( Guidelines Supporting the Position of Golf Course Manager and Golf Environmental Efforts & Guidelines) and agreed actions to be taken that would ensure these documents were communicated to the appropriate audiences.
Most importantly, the content of the documents will be communicated to several audiences, including golf course superintendents and greenkeepers around the world and their employers.
The tenets included in these documents have in many instances formed the foundation of the environmental platforms in various countries that are currently communicated to governmental and regulatory authorities. However, participants at the Summit agreed that the signing of these documents strengthens these efforts.
Stig Persson, chairman of the 2007 Summit and vice president of FEGGA said that the signing of these documents illustrated the fact that golf is a global business. “What affects one part of the world of golf will affect other parts of the globe,” he said. “By agreeing to communicate consistent messages, we strengthen our individual positions.”
Countries represented at the Summit included Canada, the U.S., Rep. of Ireland, Great Britain, Austria, Slovenia, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Portugal. FEGGA represents 23 countries in Europe and South Africa.
The next summit will be held on 1st March, 2008 in Calgary as part of the Canadian International Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show. The group will discuss various actions to take on these documents and the possibility of providing reciprocal recognition of accreditation and certification programs offered in the various jurisdictions.
FEGGA www.fegga.org