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 We could all agree that the words eco-friendly, environmentally sensitive, earth friendly, natural, sustainability and too many other adjectives to remember, fill us with suspicion as well as a sense of urgency. As consumers, we hear these words carelessly flung about by marketing gurus anxious to hitch their products to the rising star of environmental responsibility the public is embracing. No matter what our personal position is about the state of the environment, simple logic tells us that there is a limited amount of natural resources on planet Earth and that man's activities are depleting them at an alarming rate.
The golf industry began to take notice of this several years ago, and in 1995 began an open dialog among major golf organizations, leading environment groups and relevant government organizations. Primary areas of concern were identified: where courses are built which impact water tables, natural habitat, and animal life; maintenance of courses, specifically water usage; and the use of pesticides. The outgrowth of the initial meeting held at Pebble Beach was a collaborative project known as Golf and the Environment Initiative. This group continues to establish guidelines and recommendations for the industry in course development and maintenance.
What does all this have to do with you, the one in charge of creating and directing the details of your next golf outing? As you begin to think about your part in hosting a more environmentally friendly event, it's important to know that you are in the good company of golfing industry leaders who are working toward that objective too. It gives your enthusiasm and hard work the weight and credibility of those professionals making an impact at the development level. As event directors, our mandate is much more modest than those who design and build world-class courses, but it takes careful planning and collaboration with sponsors. The good news is that eco-planning can fit very nicely with your need to increase the bottom line, bring value to sponsors and create positive PR for your event and your organization. I'd like to share some steps I took to make the Florida Blood Services 16th Annual "Golf Gets In Your Blood" Scramble greener this year, and the "Green Team" that helped me accomplish that goal.
Begin by Asking Questions
What does it mean to be green and what green initiatives make sense for your event? When I started researching the subject, I contacted a friend who had also been taking steps to move her sporting events in a more eco-friendly direction and asked whom she had consulted for ideas and resources. Her answer led me to Eckerd College, a private liberal arts college in St. Petersburg, Fla., where I was able to arrange a meeting with an AmeriCorps volunteer working with the university to launch campus-wide environmental initiatives. The consultant confirmed that the list of eco-friendly steps I had already outlined were appropriate, practical and effective at the tournament level, and also referred me to valuable contacts in the local green community. Opportunities for eco-responsible changes may vary depending on the course you choose, the enthusiasm of club management for your environmentalism, resources available in your area and the like-mindedness of sponsors. Determine which of the following are possible and practical for your outing and remember that success is measured by movement in the direction of environmental sustainability even if that is just one small step at a time.
Marketing Materials
Golf brochures and the special promotional sponsorship opportunity insert were printed on 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper using soy ink. One hundred percent recycled paper would be even better but, because we are a nonprofit organization, it was important to strike a balance between cost and content and we considered this an acceptable compromise. Whenever you are making a change in paper content for marketing material, be sure to ask for a sample of the stock to ensure it is not only eco-friendly but acceptable for your design purposes. Get at least three quotes to compare cost and quality—there can be a vast difference in both!
Recycling
This may be one of the easiest and most obvious changes. Golf is a thirsty game and it's important that your guests are well hydrated while they're out in the sun. This means a plethora of disposable cans and bottles to be managed. We typically have a cooler on every other hole filled with a variety of beverages and plenty of water, and to handle the empties, we made sure there was a well-marked recycling container on every other hole, two in the hospitality tent and an additional two or three in other strategic locations. Volunteers were assigned to assemble the recycling boxes, place them appropriately and move them to the cart barn for pickup by the recycling company at the end of the event—simple, clean and responsible.
Additional Eco-Friendly Efforts
To the extent that it was possible, we chose player gifts made from environmentally sound materials, as well as items that were reusable.
- Dixon Earth Golf Balls –This golf ball is recyclable and the packaging is made from 100 percent recycled material. Always test products to make sure that they are acceptable to you in all ways, because if the product meets your green test but not your golfers' need for a quality product, it may have a negative impact on the perception of your outing. We gave samples of the ball to a few players prior to the tournament and it was given a thumbs up.
- Lunch Bags – Golfers take lunch with them on the course and to keep it fresh and cool, we pack it in a soft foam cooler players can take home to reuse again and again.
- Golf Shirts – We chose shirts made of bamboo, a fabric that is soft and durable, available in a variety of attractive colors that resist fading and has many eco-friendly characteristics. Bamboo has natural antibacterial, antifungal and odor resistant properties, even after multiple washings, requires less dye than cotton, is not dependent on pesticides for growth and is biodegradable. As with the golf balls, we did not rely on the marketing material to sell us on the use of bamboo, but on the testimony of those who owned the shirt. Feedback from our golfers since the event has been excellent.
- Food Service – This is the perfect opportunity to reduce consumption, so rather than using disposable items, we used plates and cups that belonged to the club, and in the morning, mugs donated by our breakfast sponsor, Dunkin' Donuts, that the guests could choose to take home with them. Where it was necessary to use disposable items such as napkins, we ensured they were made from 100 percent recycled material. What little food was left over from our continental breakfast was shared with volunteers and club staff (those kids staffing the cart barn love to eat)! Composting non-protein food scraps is one of those "nice to" initiatives that we included because we wanted to be as thorough as possible, but given the small amount likely to be composted, you may find this impractical unless the club has an established composting practice.
- Signage – You'll love this idea because it not only gives you great flexibility in producing tee signs for your sponsors but it will also save you a significant amount of money. In 2007 we made an investment in reusable tee signs that reduced our signage expense this year by almost $1,000. Our logo and tournament name are pre-printed on each sign and we simply place the new sponsor's logo in the plastic sleeve attached to the sign. The only signage we outsource to a sign company are the location and sponsor signs. We save these year to year and the company who prints them uses a film that can be placed on top of last year's information without any bleed through of the previous year's copy.
- Carbon Offset – We seldom think about the impact of scores of automobiles traveling to and from an outing. We wanted to include this in our green efforts, if only to get people thinking about the wisdom of using native plants here in Florida. We found a generous sponsor who donated a quantity of native plant seedlings for us to give to guests, and what was not taken home was donated to the Florida Native Plant Society for use in public projects, a win for everyone.
Golf events are successful because of great sponsors and launching a green initiative is no exception. We highlighted our "Green Team" sponsors with special signage and recognition for underwriting the cost of player gifts, donating green services and discounting or donating eco-friendly products. The cooperation and involvement of the course is also an invaluable asset when implementing environmentally friendly practices, so make sure the golf pro and staff are informed and involved.
Although the details of your green initiative may look entirely different than what you've read here, the three Rs will always guide your decisions—recycle, reduce, reuse. Focus on strategic partnerships with sponsors, keep profit and practicality in mind and even the smallest eco-friendly actions will be a responsible step in the right direction.
Marla Grant is the director of community relations for Florida Blood Services Foundation, St. Petersburg, and tournament director for the annual "Golf Gets In Your Blood" Tournament, now in its 16th year. |
