KLM Open tops Sustainable Golf Index

The KLM Open, for the second year running, has topped CRS consultancy Between-us' Sustainable Golf Index

Hilversumsche Golf Club

The KLM Open, staged at Hilversumsche Golf Club in Holland, has been named the most sustainable golf event on tour for the second successive year.

Corporate social responsibility consultancy Between-us has announced the 2012 Top 10 Sustainable Golf Index, which measures the perceived sustainability of professional golf tournaments.

The European Tour's KLM Open - won this year by Peter Hanson - finished narrowly ahead of the Belas Club de Campo Senior Open. The Sustainable Golf Index allows tournaments and their sponsors - many of whom are facing increasing demands on reputation and sustainability - to benchmark their progress.

Tournaments were scored in three areas: People, Planets and Virtues, with each domain comprising seven indicators.

The KLM Open achieved a score of 82.9% - up exactly 20% from last year - thanks, in part, to efficient waste management, 'walking bins' and biological catering.

Jan van deer Kaaij, Managing Director of Between-us, said: "Temporary sports events often focus on organisational and economic execution, forgoing sustainability issues.

"The aim of the Sustainable Golf Index is to raise awareness of this issue amongst golf events and to help them develop a more sustainable approach."

The Sustainable Golf Index study examined 82 tournaments from the European Tour, Senior Tour, Ladies Tour and Challenge Tour.

This year's average total sustainability score was 24.8%, an increase of 1.3% from last year.

The results also showed that 18.3% of all events recycle their waste, 31.7% of events donate money or resources to charity and 3.7% of all events measure carbon emissions.

To see the full Sustainable Golf Index report, visit www.sustainablegolfproject.com.

 

Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x