Al Mouj Golf’s long-term commitment to driving sports tourism and preserving nature is further strenghened having won the International Environmental Golf Club Award for 2023 at the Golf Environment Awards, a UK-based programme that recognises excellence in environmentally sustainable practices within the sport.
Located at the ocean’s edge within premium lifestyle destination Al Mouj Muscat, Al Mouj Golf is a World 100 course and the awards, organised by the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), reward outstanding clubs for how they protect and preserve their natural surroundings. Since 1995 they have shone a spotlight on eco-conscious matters within golf, attracting hundreds of entries from clubs throughout the world with the winners recently announced at a glittering ceremony at the annual BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition in Harrogate, England.
Al Mouj Golf is one of only 20 clubs worldwide to be certified by both Audubon International and Golf Environment Organisation (GEO) for environmental excellence. This latest accolade recognises its superb management across the areas of Nature Conservation Management, Turfgrass Management, Waste and Water Management.
Adding to Al Mouj Golf’s impressive credentials is its status this month as the first club in the Middle East to host The International Series, an elevated series of events featuring top level pro players competing on the Asian Tour, once more highlighting the club’s significance on the world stage.
“It has been a great month for Al Mouj Golf and extremely gratifying to earn global recognition once again. As leaders in sustainability, we are seeing tangible results from introducing environmental initiatives and practices, achieving an increase in habitat varieties whilst at the same time improving playing experiences for golfers and providing a positive contribution to wildlife,” said Al Mouj Muscat CEO Nasser Masoud Al Sheibani.
“Ten years ago, our Greg Norman designed course opened its doors as the first ever links course in the Sultanate and since then it has had a significant impact on sports and leisure tourism in Oman. In addition to being custodians of our country’s incredible natural beauty, we are innovators who create opportunities for people from all over the world to come and enjoy our natural environment.”
Al Mouj Golf preserves its five freshwater ponds which are habitats for 173 different bird species, and its partnership with Haya Water allows for the collection and composting of grass, plants and tree cuttings. In addition, treated wastewater is used for irrigation and the club retains and rejuvenates the natural Khor as part of its picturesque environment.
A lush green 72-par course set along 2km of pristine coastline, Al Mouj Golf has a resort-like feel owing to additional facilities and services including a teaching academy and floodlit driving range, a fully equipped pro-shop and a restaurant.
A three-time host of the Oman Open, which is part of the European Tour, the club has now received 23 International Awards and has welcomed 16,000 golfers in addition to hosting 35,000 guests, with many more expected as part of this latest competition.
To know more, visit Al Mouj Golf.
The GEO Foundation teed off its inaugural Sustainable Golf Week on Monday, October 3, including a sustainability scorecard that allows golfers around the world to join in and play their part in the #DrivingTheGreen agenda throughout the week and beyond.
Running to Sunday, October 9, the week is both a reflection and celebration of the great sustainability work being done throughout the world of golf, while also providing stimulus to promote a greener future for the game.
With 18 tips included on the sustainability scorecard, golfers can track their progress throughout the week with tasks as simple as avoiding single use plastic and taking an interest in your local clubs’ community initiatives.
Presented as a traditional golfing scorecard, a front and back nine of tips offer an ideal starting point for golfers to integrate more sustainable habits into their normal golfing lives.
“When it comes to environmental stewardship and climate action, even the smallest decision can make a huge difference,” said Jonathan Smith, Executive Director of the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf.
“Whether it’s sharing a ride to the golf course, walking instead of taking a golf cart, or looking carefully at the equipment we purchase, every small change by over 60 million golfers can have a massive impact and ensure we provide a world where golf is still playable for future generations."
With a range of daily highlights, features and social activity throughout the week, GEO has focused on five key topics - grassroots clubs and courses, tournaments, developments and innovations - with an aim to stimulate and encourage positive climate action from those involved.
To find out more about Sustainable Golf Week and how to get involved, visit sustainable.golf/sustainablegolfweek
Sustainabilty is one of the key elements of Sentosa Golf Club's 10-year partnership with The Toro Company and regional Toro distributor Jebsen & Jessen.
The agreement will see Toro provide the famed Singapore club with a complete fleet of maintenance equipment and irrigation products, as well as landscaping tools, training, and on-site service and support. The announcement marks the latest development in a long relationship between the club and Toro stretching back more than two decades, including support during events like the SMBC Singapore Open and HSBC Women’s World Championship.
As part of the agreement, Toro will provide a total package of equipment and irrigation solutions to support all areas of maintenance at the club. This includes a range of hybrid and electric equipment as well as battery-powered landscape tools, all focused on reducing engine exhaust emissions and promoting overall sustainability.
The club also has 36 holes of Toro irrigation, including Toro INFINITY Sprinklers and a Lynx System with satellite technology, in addition to Toro Turf Guard wireless soil monitoring to provide in-field data. The Lynx system provides precision water management designed to help reduce water usage.
Toro’s hybrid and electric equipment and water-saving irrigation systems align with the Sentosa Golf Club’s dedication to sustainability. Named ‘World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’ for the second consecutive year in 2021, the club is recognized worldwide for its commitment to the environment and has pledged to become the world’s first carbon-neutral golf club by 2022.
“We’re looking forward to bringing our fleet into the future with Toro and Jebsen & Jessen,” said Andrew Johnston, the club's General Manager and Director of Agronomy. “It’s important to us to work with partners who not only share our commitment to the environment, but also support our mission to consistently deliver a world-class playing experience. We treat every day like a tournament day, and we know we can expect that level of excellence from Toro.”
Beyond a new fleet of irrigation and course maintenance equipment, the partnership includes support from the technical service team at Jebsen & Jessen and regional support from The Toro Company. An on-site Toro service manager will be based at the club, establishing a state-of-the-art workshop that will serve as a model for Toro.
Toro also plans to base a centre of excellence at Sentosa Golf Club to support and educate regional clients and staff on the latest products, technology and service developments. With this initiative, Toro joins The R&A and the Asian Tour in making Sentosa a key base in the region.
Toro marks its 108th year in the golf industry this year, bringing more than a century of expertise and innovative solutions to the partnership.
“This is an historic opportunity for The Toro Company to partner with one of the most respected clubs in Asia and support their mission of carbon neutrality,” said Richard Olson, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Toro Company. “I’ve witnessed Sentosa Golf Club’s passion for the environment first-hand, and it’s an exciting time to work them on implementing the latest Toro innovations and technology.”
“Sustainability is not a new concept for The Toro Company. It’s deeply rooted in our purpose to provide customers with real solutions that are both environmentally responsible and operationally sustainable.”
Philipp Hoffmann, Regional Director of Jebsen & Jessen Technology Turf & Irrigation, noted: "As the first industrial conglomerate in Southeast Asia to achieve full carbon neutrality, we take great pride in the fact that we share a common mission with Sentosa and Toro in reducing our impact on the environment.
“We look forward to supporting the club as they provide world-class golfing experiences, as well as in their sustainability efforts.”
VisitScotland, the national body for the development and promotion of tourism in Scotland, has added a significant boost to golf’s sustainability efforts by partnering with the GEO Foundation.
The GEO Foundation is an international not-for-profit body founded 16 years ago to help inspire, support, and reward credible sustainability action and to strengthen and promote golf's social and environmental value.
The move comes just six months after Scotland hosted COP26, the UN’s climate change conference, which saw the launch of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. During COP26, VisitScotland also supported GEO Foundation’s ‘Driving Net Zero’, a special event to spotlight and discuss golf and climate action.
The partnership sees VisitScotland become the first national tourism body to become a strategic partner of the GEO Foundation to support their mission to accelerate sustainability in and through golf. It also establishes connection and alignment between VisitScotland’s responsible tourism goals and the sustainability activities being carried out through this year’s leading golf tournaments in Scotland – The 150th Open, the AIG Women’s Open, the Genesis Scottish Open, the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open, The Senior Open Championship and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
There will also be a focus on boosting direct support for Scottish golf clubs, including the provision of OnCourse Scotland, a national version of the international programme for sustainable club and course management. Club engagement will be delivered in collaboration with Scottish Golf, helping bring significant awareness-raising to the effort to involve more Scottish clubs in actions that can help strengthen efficiency and sustainability.
Scotland's Culture Minister Neil Gray said: “I commend VisitScotland for their strategic partnership with the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf – a first for Scotland. The partnership aligns with the Scottish Government’s long-term priority to become a Net Zero Nation by enhancing our climate resilience in a just and fair way.
“The agreement also builds on the momentum of COP26 ahead of an exceptional summer of golf events, headlined by The 150th Open at St Andrews. I’m confident that the GEO Foundation’s expertise will not only deliver clear benefits to these events and clubs across Scotland, but also encourage other around the world to take climate action.”
Malcolm Roughead, CEO of VisitScotland championed the announcement. “Given that golf represents such a large part of our tourism sector, we want to align with our overall approach to responsible tourism and help golf facilities and high-profile tournaments on their journey.
"We are delighted to collaborate with GEO Foundation, dedicated as they are to advancing sustainable golf from their headquarters in North Berwick, and also with our national governing body Scottish Golf who share our commitment to build sustainability into the long-term popularity and resilience of the sport.”
Jonathan Smith, Executive Director of GEO Foundation added: “We are extremely proud to carry the support of VisitScotland across the non-profit work we do to inspire, guide and promote sustainability in and through golf. It is a great fit in terms of our international advocacy and programmes, and support for golf in Scotland.
“We are particularly excited about how the collaboration will help connect sustainable tourism and sustainable golf; support the leadership of leading events; and how together with Scottish Golf we can guide and reward clubs across the country.”
Karin Sharp, Chief Operating Officer of Scottish Golf noted that the initiative will help advance their long-standing commitment to promoting sustainable golf. "As part of our strategic review, clubs across the country have told us sustainability is important to them, and that they’d welcome more guidance, direction and recognition. We are excited to work with VisitScotland and GEO Foundation to further develop and provide that,” he said.
Teeing off at Sentosa Golf Club this Thursday, the 2022 HSBC Women’s World Championship features multiple tournament partners who are committed to a sustainable future for the game and the world.
HSBC returns as title sponsor for the 14th edition of the showpiece event. From grassroots to elite level, HSBC’s global commitment to golf encompasses all levels of the game. Underpinning a longer-term ambition to create a legacy through youth and grassroots development are initiatives such as the HSBC Youth Golf Challenge, delivered in partnership with the Singapore Golf Association.
The tournament will once again be played on the renowned Tanjong Course at Sentosa Golf Club which hosts its ninth edition of the event frequently referred to as ‘Asia’s Major’. Recently named 'World's Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility' for the second consecutive year, the club is a leading light in driving sustainable practices in golf around the world. Wide ranging initiatives include electric car charging, battery powered golf carts, plastic removal, a state-of-the-art irrigation system, development of a sustainable herb garden, hand-removal of weeds to reduce pesticide use and even maintaining a bee colony within the golf course confines.
Sustainability elements pick up from the moment the players land in Singapore. They will be whisked away by Lexus ES Hybrid courtesy cars, which feature a powerful self-charging electric motor, ensuring that the journey from hotel to links will be with minimal environmental impact.
Their stay at the newly-reopened Hilton Singapore Orchard will be a comfortable and sustainable one, with eco-friendly energy-saving features, wooden or digital key cards to minimise plastic use, and even filtered water from an on-site water filtration and re-bottling system. The Hilton will also be providing the tournament’s event catering, which will come with the use of local produce and packaged in recycled paper boxes.
On course, F&N Ice Mountain will keep players hydrated with Tetra Pak and canned water, fully eliminating single-use plastic bottles from the pristine course surroundings. These will be made available across all hospitality suites, offices, media center, tee boxes and players lounge, so every visitor can enjoy a refreshing thirst-quencher as they watch the best female golfers take to the lush Sentosa fairways.
When celebrations are in order, PengWine, the HSBC Women’s World Championship Official Premium Wine Sponsor, will be on hand with their Chilean organic wine, which has been produced using a sustainable supply chain.
Crowd favourites Lydia Ko and Caroline Masson will be donning footwear by another tournament sponsor, Ecco, which ensures its products are not only of the highest quality but, through a combination of control over its entire supply chain and a commitment to energy and water reduction, will also have minimal environmental impact.
Meanwhile, Sony will be providing essential technology and entertainment equipment to the tournament operations team and hospitality lounges. Drawing its inspiration from the world around us, the company has recently committed to “Road to Zero” and “Green Management 2025” initiatives which aim to reduce the group’s environmental footprint to zero by 2050 through initiatives such as eliminating plastic packaging, plant-based material development, reducing energy consumption and switching to clean energy sources.
VIP tournament guests will be able to enjoy some of the most recognised luxury drinks brands in the world, including The Glenrothes single malt, courtesy of event partner, Edrington, which was created over 160 years ago to be a company that makes a positive contribution to the communities around it. With a specific focus on the four areas of distilling, packaging, estate and community, Edrington is focused on sustainable practices throughout its entire process.
Partners of the 2022 HSBC Women’s World Championship are: Singapore Tourism Board, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore Airlines, Lexus, Rolex, Hilton Singapore Orchard, Aon, Cisco Webex, Panasonic, ECCO Golf, Epson, OSIM, Under Armour, COBRA Golf, Ice Mountain, PengWine, TikTok, SONY, Titleist, The Glenrothes and 100PLUS.
For more information, visit the tournament website at hsbcgolf.com/womens