As sustainability and climate action become increasingly important to all types of businesses, including golf clubs and courses, GEO Foundation continues to add new benefits and services to the OnCourse programme.
Through continual dialogue with golf club and course managers and golf associations, and as part of the mission to keep adding value to the growing number of people OnCourse, new features include:
- Annual Sustainability Scorecard – tracks the 32 Sustainability Metrics for Golf, giving clubs easy access to key data and year-on-year trends, plus professional-standard presentations and graphics prepared for each club.
- OnCourse Carbon Calculator – calculates carbon emissions, sequestration & balance plus guidance on how to improve.
- Communications materials – more ways to communicate with colleagues, golfers and community – including monthly themed campaigns for clubs that want to do more around a particular issue.
- Consultations – free call to determine which aspects of OnCourse will best meet a club’s aims and needs, and how to get started or connect with additional support if desired.
Now in eleven languages, the programme is proving to be a valuable resource for clubs and courses of all sizes around the world, with more clubs now joining every day to unlock the many business benefits of sustainability and to play their part.
As described by one club recently, “OnCourse provides a vision of how golf clubs can and should be in the 21st Century – as clubs that act as stewards for the land, use resources responsibly and are integrated as part of their communities,” – Bob Roberts, Market Harborough Golf Club.
Clubs around the world have already shared hundreds of examples of this type of action, their projects and results, provided as an always growing library of ideas in OnCourse and also helping to strengthen the reputation of golf and the value it brings to nature and people.
Over the coming months, many workshops and events are taking place with GEO Foundation and partners, check with GEO or your local golf association for more information.
And in the UK, visit the BTME Sustainability Zone in January 2020. You can join in the conversation around sustainability in and through golf on social media by following @sustainablegolf
GEO has developed a suite of custom-built sustainability programs for golf – for existing clubs and courses; new developments; and golf tournaments.
OnCourse® for existing clubs and courses is an entirely online, paper-free program, currently being used by hundreds of golf facilities in over 80 countries, supported and promoted by over 35 international and national golf associations, including the R&A, Toro, national Federations; greenkeepers, owners and club managers associations; and professional golf tours and tourism bodies www.getoncourse.golf
GEO Foundation is the international not-for-profit dedicated to advancing sustainability in and through golf. Its goal is to work collaboratively to help the sport embrace environmental and social issues and become widely acclaimed for its role in fostering nature, conserving resources and building healthy communities. GEO assures the OnCourse® programmes for grassroots golf facilities, new developments and tournaments, each of which can lead to the internationally accredited, endorsed and independently verified GEO Certified® label. GEO’s work is made possible through the support of many people and partners from all across golf including these strategic partners, The R&A, Toro, and Vidauban Foundation www.sustainable.golf