International Golf Federation elevates commitment to Sports for Nature ahead of Olympic golf competitions

Olympic festivities at Le Golf National – site of the Paris 2024 men’s and women’s golf competitions – officially kicked off Tuesday in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France, as not only the Olympic torch relay made its way down the field of play, but multiple national federations joined the International Golf Federation in their formal commitment to the Sports for Nature Framework.

Sports for Nature, which aims to deliver transformative action for nature across sports, is a joint initiative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), International Olympic Committee (IOC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy. The organization, which aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by engaging with the sports community, welcomed the International Golf Federation (IGF), French Golf Federation and Swiss Golf Federation as signatories of its Sports for Nature Framework.

“By signing the Sports for Nature Framework, the IGF reinforces its commitment to sustainability and recognises the leadership role we play in guiding the sport of golf to make a positive impact on the environment,” said IGF Executive Director Antony Scanlon. “It’s important that those in the golf industry do everything we can to protect and restore nature, especially at golf courses around the globe.”

The Sports for Nature Framework features four principles to guide sports organizations at all levels: Protect nature and avoid damage to natural habitats and species; restore and regenerate nature wherever possible; understand and reduce risks to nature in respective supply chains; and educate and inspire positive action for nature across and beyond sport. Tuesday’s ceremony was a formal declaration from the IGF, French Golf Federation and Swiss Golf Federation to support Sports for Nature’s mission to drive positive change and lead by example in the golf community.

“Sports for Nature is honored to welcome these three signatories, expanding the commitment of both the Olympic movement and the golf communities,” said Sports for Nature Programme Leader Meredith McCurdy. “It’s especially unique that we can officially welcome these organisations at Le Golf National, a course that has made significant efforts towards protecting and restoring onsite biodiversity.”

Scanlon also thanked the French Golf Federation and Swiss Golf Federation for their activism and commitment to exploring and implementing sustainability measures to ensure the future of golf for future generations.

“My accolades go to the staff at La Golf National,” said PGA TOUR Senior Vice President of Agronomy Paul Vermeulen, who also is serving on the Paris Olympics agronomy team. “They've done a great job of investing in their future through conservation, through investing in their infrastructure, the irrigation system, the drainage system, the equipment inventory and most importantly, their staff. They actually have individuals on the staff that are dedicated to accomplishing a sustainable future for golf course management. That's where I applaud them.”

Le Golf National, site of the FedEx Open de France on the DP World Tour since 1991, is regarded as a model of exemplary commitment to sustainability. Under the leadership of the French Golf Federation, the venue installed a state-of-the-art irrigation system that helped reduce water usage across the property’s two golf courses by 40 percent from 2018 to 2023. In preparation for and during the Olympic golf competitions, the all-electric fleet of mowers have been equipped with sensors to monitor soil moisture for even greater precision for watering measurements and interventions.

“We get to scan the fairways every day, and we can see exactly how much moisture has been lost through evaporation,” Vermeulen explained, “and we can program the irrigation system to replace that lost quantity of water or use our staff and support staff to target specific areas with handheld hoses. It's going to be, I think, the most sophisticated effort to manage golf course irrigation to date.”

Vermeulen also noted Le Golf National has several designated and protected wildlife areas, and a recent study of Le Golf National’s biodiversity conducted by the National Museum of Natural History in Paris determined that the property is home to 409 different species of flora and fauna including 13 heritage species and 33 species in decline.

The formal signing of the Sports for Nature framework agreement Tuesday included McCurdy, IGF Executive Director Antony Scanlon, FFG General Manager Christophe Muniesa, and Swiss Golf Board Member and Sustainability Committee Chair Etienne Marclay.

Other Sports for Nature framework signatories include the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), World Triathlon and World Taekwondo.