6-Aug-08 12:00 PM CST

What can You Do - to go Green?

This is the second Tournament Tip on how to green your golf tournament. Are you overwhelmed by ‘how to go green’? Are you thinking, what possible difference can your tournament make? Even one small step can make a difference and here are a few green tips.

1. Take the Green Golfer Pledge

Encourage all your tournament players to take the Audubon Green Golfer Pledge. Individual golfers can pledge to support environmental stewardship by signing up online at http://www.golfandenvironment.org/greengolfer.htm. From replacing divots to picking up trash, the simple actions golfers can take are good for the game, good for the golf course, and good for the environment.

2. Choose an eco-friendly golf course

The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP) certifies golf courses for their eco-friendly practices. Sponsored by the United States Golf Association and administered by Audubon International, the ACSP is a program that helps golf facilities protect the environment by enhancing natural areas and wildlife habitats. In order to achieve certification, a course is required to demonstrate that it is maintaining the highest degree of environmental quality in several areas such as protecting water quality, conserving natural resources, and providing wildlife habitats. To find an Audubon-certified course visit http://www.golfandenvironment.org/CACS%20Golf%20list.pdf or ask your tournament course to highlight their environmental efforts.

3. Reduce your contribution to global warming

With the rising profile of the climate change problem, reducing your ‘carbon footprint’ is increasingly recognized as an important method to go green. And golf tournaments, wanting to deliver a critical message, are no exception. So where do you start?

A. What is a Carbon Footprint? A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact your tournament has on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases or emissions produced to deliver the tournament through burning fossil fuels for electricity and transportation etc.

B. Estimate your carbon footprint. Depending on the scale of your event, gauging your footprint can be complex. Despite online calculation tools (www.carbonfootprint.com), many organizations hire consultants to estimate a footprint. You will need to know or estimate how the meals are being prepared, what is the golf course’s energy use to deliver the tournament, are you using gas or electric carts, how many people will commute, etc.

C. Reduce your footprint. Take simple action such as encouraging carpooling to the tournament or choosing a golf course with a central location.

D. Consider buying offsets. To negate the impact of the tournament’s estimated emissions consider buying ‘carbon offsets. These offsets are then in turn used to support anything from renewable energy efforts to projects in developing countries. We recommend, because this industry is unregulated, that you start with an organization that has thoroughly screened carbon offset providers.

Contact us to learn more about going green or to purchase offsets and become one of the few carbon-neutral events in the nation.

For additional information on this article, please contact:

Marianne Lines

(281) 701-5596

Source: Marianne Lines