Environment

Members of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects believe stewardship of the environment is a cornerstone of our profession. Our Statement of Environmental Policy, which outlines the philosophy and principles which we commit to support and promote, underpins the content of this web page and has guided our priorities for action as a profession.

EIGCA believe collaboration between a wide range of organisations is the key to addressing this complex global problem. This is realised formally through our membership of the Golf Environment Organization’s Industry Forum, (www.golfenvironment.org) which brings together stakeholders right across the golf and environmental sectors. We also value most highly our close links with our partner organisations of architects, including those in the USA, Australia and Japan, who joined with us so successfully in St Andrews at the World Forum of Golf in March 2010. We are delighted that the key outcome of this meeting was a joint endorsement of pioneering new guidance for sustainable golf development. (www.golfenvironment.org, Sustainable Golf Development).

All of our Patron organisations recognise the importance of environmental issues and work closely with us towards shared goals. We acknowledge the leadership which is provided in this area both by GEO www.golfenvironment.org and by The R&A www.randa.org, through the action programmes they continue to implement and refine. At the same time, our members embrace the responsibility to play their own part in promoting more sustainable golf development. Golf Course Architects are perhaps uniquely positioned to do this, at the heart of the development process, with both the knowledge and the contacts to make a difference.