09 Oct 2023
Golf’s Natural Advantage
Nature enriches life - and golf. Biodiversity and the rich communities of flora and fauna on land, in water and across different ecosystems create direct and indirect benefits for human wellbeing. However, current societal trends and modes of production and consumption, such as urbanisation, population growth, and the conversion of undisturbed natural areas into houses, roads, or monocultures of grass, are exacerbating climate change, reducing genetic diversity, and weakening the resilience of landscapes, ecosystems and communities to storms, floods, heat and droughts.
The loss and destruction of a wide variety of habitats, including grasslands, peatlands, scrublands, wetlands, and woodlands, is having a profound impact on biodiversity. The relative abundance of monitored wildlife populations has declined by 69% from a 1970 baseline, pushing humanity beyond safe, sustainable parameters for biodiversity loss and climate change. From iconic species like the Snow Leopard, Black Rhino, and African Elephant to the common Cork Tree and Orchid, we are dramatically diminishing the beauty, health and wonder of our community of life on Earth.
This is not only a moral or philosophical issue; it is a question of long-term human health and happiness. From the air we breathe, to the water we drink and food we eat, nature is our life-support system. Our collective prosperity is based on the ability of landscapes and ecosystems to regulate the climate, provide scenic beauty, and supply the resources for the products and services that drive trade.
Therefore, during this Sustainable Golf Week we will focus on helping golf to continue to drive a nature-positive planet. We will be reflecting on the importance of biodiversity to the game we all know and love. We will be reimagining golf’s natural advantage – from the biodiverse features that enrich the lives of millions of players, to the opportunities to play and deeply connect with living landscapes and ecosystems. We will be sharing stories and ideas on how we can protect, restore, and promote the natural world through the landscapes, supply-chains, and day-to-day practices of one of the world’s most respected, revered and nature-inspired games.
Imagine a round of golf without the sound of the birds, the beauty of the flowers, the backdrop of the trees, and the distinct dance of butterflies and bees. Golf needs nature and now, more than ever, nature needs golf. We all know that golf is #BetterWithNature
