The environmental impact of golf will be discussed at the inaugural European Golf Course Owners Association conference in Amsterdam from 23rd – 25th November 2006.
The objective of the EGCOA 2006 conference is to bring together golf course owners and other important industry partners. The theme of the event is: “Grow the game and improve your business”.
Lodewijk Klootwijk, of the EGCOA said, “The prime objective of the association is to look after the interests of the club owners by representing them on a EU level in contact with the European Commission, other EU golf bodies and relevant EU organisations. We generally support the owners by spreading and sharing knowledge.
“The Amsterdam conference is a very important innovation for the EGCOA because it is a platform in the full glare of public attention where important issues facing the industry – and the planet – can be discussed.
“That is why we are so thrilled to have Jonathan Smith, CEO of Golf Environment Europe who will be leading a very topical session titled ‘Golf and the environment – walking the walk’. People in the golf sector know environmental issues are big news. As members of society themselves, they sense the widespread social and political support there is for greater environmental sustainability.”
The EGCOA say they are increasingly aware of the validity of concerns over such issues like water, waste, energy, pollution and ecology and its members report a sense of frustration that golf’s environmental impact is misunderstood and that people outside the sector do not recognise the positive role golf can and is playing.
The session will ask what the golf sector needs to do and whether it is really doing enough at the present time. It will also address what measures individual golf facilities can undertake and the likely costs and benefits.
Jonathan Smith says, “Sustainability in the development and maintenance of golf courses is the number one challenge for golf course owners in the coming years. Improving the performance on sustainability and communicating the message that golf can be good for the environment are the main challenges. With the Foundation Golf Environment Europe we have set ourselves the challenge to realize this on a European level with all the stakeholders. That is why we are also very happy that the owners are an important partner in GEE.”
European Golf Course Owners Association www.egcoa.eu
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