31 Jan 2022
United Arab Emirates Tournament Swing highlights sustainable golf practices
The DP World Tour Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship was the first of four consecutive tournaments in the United Arab Emirates.
Abu Dhabi kicked off the year with the first of successive Rolex Series events starting at Yas Links, which has a range of environmental and community initiatives in place through the leadership of Troon Golf.
The Tour then visited Emirates Golf Club for the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, followed by consecutive weeks at Al Hamra Golf Club in Ras Al Khaimah.
This four week stretch puts golf in the UAE - and, by extension, its record in sustainability - firmly on the map.
Prior to the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, organizers announced the launch of a new ‘Sustainability Sunday’ to highlight the tournament’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
Such initiatives are welcome news given the Tour’s commitment to becoming a showcase for social and environmental responsibility through European Tour Green Drive, launched last year with support from GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf.
Here's a deeper look at what clubs in the UAE have been doing to improve and maintain sustainability.
Emirates Golf Club
The Faldo at GEO Certified Emirates Golf Club became the first course in the region to use energy-efficient LED light technology.
The club’s 18-hole day/night course underwent a retrofitting process to replace the previous metal halide solution lighting, which enhanced energy savings by 60%, cut CO2 emissions, and improved lighting quality.
Other initiatives undertaken by Emirates Golf Club include installing two charging stations with the capacity to charge four electric vehicles at a time in as little as two hours. Every third hole on the course has dedicated recycling bins. A partnership with National Geographic reduced the use of plastic bottles and raised awareness for sustainable alternatives.
Jumeirah Golf Estates
Addressing the challenge of water availability in the region, GEO Certified Jumeirah Golf Estates undertook an irrigation audit that found overspray had allowed dominant bermudagrass to creep into the native grass. The overspray resulted in wider turf corridors and more maintenance.
By revising the wiring of the sprinkler system and realigning turf corridor sprinkler heads, the club achieved a 14% reduction in consumption during the region’s hottest months.
Jumeirah also uses a water recycling plant that returns wash water, used for cleaning machinery, through a series of filters before being reused. Bacteria break down any pollutants in the water, and the process saves around 700,000 litres of water annually.
If you’re interested in reading more about cutting water use and reducing unnecessary irrigation, read this interview with Toro’s Andy Brown, who detailed the best solutions for courses in a feature for World Water Week.
Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Leftover food, paper and other organic waste are churned into water and fertilizer by GEO Certified Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.
The waste feeds into a machine that dehydrates it into compost, which acts as a valuable nutrient source ploughed back into landscaped areas around the course.
Meanwhile, the club takes part in a ‘Team Up to Clean Up the Creek’ initiative, where colleagues team up to remove litter from the banks of the nearby Dubai Creek twice a year.
You can explore more sustainable golf highlights from the UAE via the Highlights Hub here.
