11 Jul 2025
DP World Tour, Scottish Golf, VisitScotland and GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation deliver event attended by a wide range of golf clubs and stakeholders.
For the 3rd year in a row, the DP World Tour made the Genesis Scottish Open a milestone in collaboration and ambition for responsible events and sustainable golf clubs and communities in Scotland.
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The symposium was the centrepiece of a range of ongoing and new sustainability initiatives at the tournament itself, which span venue, staging, legacies and communications, and which this year also features the new Better with Nature campaign to educate and engage spectators.
This year, the symposium aimed to broaden the conversation beyond responsible events, which had been the primary focus previously, into the realm of grassroots golf clubs and facilities.
High-level welcomes and opening perspectives were provided by Rory Colville, Head of Championships at DP World Tour; Rob Dickson, Director of Industry and Events at VisitScotland; and Robbie Clyde, CEO at Scottish Golf, who respectively spoke about tournament leadership, government policy and expectations, and proactive leadership from a national governing body.
Expert panels then focused on the management of golfing green spaces in a changing climate and the role of golf clubs in resilient, healthy and sustainable communities.
Panel one on climate was led by Dr Robbie Fitzpatrick, GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation; with Peter Wright, SEPA; Nick Everett, NatureScot and with club perspectives from Kyle Cruikshank, North Berwick Golf Club, Craig Boath, Carnoustie Golf Links and David Gray from Fife Golf Trust.
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The second panel, facilitated by Kelli Jerome, GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, explored social value, with Social Return on Investment expert Alan Johnston; perspectives from David Roy, Crail Golf Club; Kirsty Hamilton, Dullatur Golf Club; Maria Grandinetti-Milton, European Tour group; and Laurie Watson, St Andrew Links Trust.
A closing session focussed on celebrating leadership in sustainable golf; reflecting on the commitments of hundreds of Scotland’s 550 clubs that have already joined the Sustainable Golf Pledge; the clubs that are winning awards and are fully certified for leadership in sustainable golf; topped off with special ‘longstanding leadership’ awards to mark the occasion presented to St Andrews Links Trust; Carnoustie; Muirfield; Royal Troon; and Turnberry.
Jonathan Smith, Executive Director of GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation said: “There is clear momentum emerging in responsible events and sustainable golf across Scotland – made possible by the collaborative leadership of various bodies, and with growing ambition from more events and more grass roots clubs.
To see engagement swell and to hear how events and clubs are making best practice integral to daily practice – so that they can go on to push larger innovations and activations – across a whole range of nature, resource, climate, and community priorities is becoming really inspirational”.
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Maria Grandinetti-Milton, Director of Sustainability at European Tour group said: “One of the things we have always hoped to see, as we push forward our Golf for Good and Green Drive initiatives, is that we’d be able to support and have wider positive impact around and through our events. This week’s symposium, with close partners in government and the amateur side of golf, demonstrates one of the ways we can be part of accelerated action. We have these common challenges and opportunities and it is great when we can all see how we are collectively addressing them”.
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