GOLF'S SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPIONS TO BE CELEBRATED

BIGGA has teamed up with GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf to host a place for sports turf managers to meet and exchange ideas during next week's BTME.

GEO Foundation is an international not-for-profit, dedicated to helping inspire, support and reward credible sustainability and climate action across golf.
 
BTME takes place at the Harrogate Convention Centre next week from 22 to 24 March and during the event the GEO Foundation will be joined by a number of other partners to host the ‘Sustainability Lounge’, which BIGGA says will provide a dedicated space for attendees to find out more, get involved and join discussions about key sustainability issues with experts in their field.
 
The GEO Foundation also assures the OnCourse programmes for grassroots golf facilities, new developments and tournaments, each of which can lead to the widely endorsed and externally recognised GEO Certified label.
 
During BTME, the Sustainability Lounge is intended to be a gathering and meeting place and in addition to the team from GEO Foundation, experts from around the UK will often be on hand, including BIGGA’s own sustainability champion, James Hutchinson.
 
James, who is membership services manager for ecology and sustainability for BIGGA, said, “Of all the key topics up for discussion at BTME, among the most important will be the need for golf courses all over the world to adopt increasingly sustainable practices. With the changing availability of resources and rising costs, alongside an increasing awareness of the important role we can all play to protect the natural environment, golf has a massive part to play and I am excited that our colleagues at the GEO Foundation, and partners from other golfing bodies, will be joining us at BTME for what stands to be a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas and discover new sustainable practices.”
 
The GEO Foundation will also be recognising Sustainable Golf Champions and will celebrate GEO Certified venues, with representatives invited to showcase what initiatives they have implemented at their golf facilities. There will also be prize draws for those who stop by to vote for a sustainability or climate action project shared by a fellow greenkeeper.