This year’s Sustainable Golf Week is taking place between 11 and 15 November and again provides a chance for people and organisations across the sport to celebrate the good that golf does in society.

This time, the week spotlights another key aspect of golf’s responsibility and its value in sustainable development, focussing on how golf serves, supports and strengthens communities.

With previous editions exploring other priority topics such as climate (#DrivingNetZero) and nature (#BetterwithNature), for 2024 the emphasis is on #GolfforCommunities.

Jonathan Smith, Executive Director of GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation – the international non-profit that helps facilitate and coordinate the week said: “Golf is not just a game. It’s a sector with the power to make a real dfference in people’s lives. Serving and supporting people from a wide diversity of ages, backgrounds, and cultures in a wide variety of ways – that are often not well recognised.

When it comes to sustainability, where equity is a central pillar, it’s not only about saving the planet, it’s about giving everyone a fair shot. And as much as golf gives people access to healthy lifestyles in fresh air and nature, there’s still open space for the sport to benefit more people in more ways.”

Alan Grant, Director of Partnerships at the Foundation added: “Sustainable Golf Week is a time to celebrate, and also to stop and think about how golf can go even further to build fairer, greener communities – not just on the course, but in cities and towns everywhere. It’s about taking big swings for a better world!”

“We invite everyone, no matter how large or small they think their contribution, to share stories and ideas about golf’s relationship with diverse communities around the world. To offer perspectives on the game’s strengths and weaknesses around such key topics, and to help inspire and guide the next key steps we can all take to maximise the sport’s positive impact. The more we all share, the more the world will know golf cares, and the more ideas and inspiration will be provided to others”.

During the week content will cover a raft of ways golf can and already does, contribute to society, including touch points on:

• Lifelong health, wellbeing and social interaction
• Employment, investment and skilled careers
• Volunteering and lifelong education
• Community outreach and charitable initiatives
• Multi-functional use of land
• Local environmental protection, nature restoration and nature-based solutions
• Influence in low carbon, nature rich and circular economies; and
• Golf as a source of inspiration for billions of people.

Getting Involved:

You can find out more about the agenda for the week and access the Sustainable Golf Week Toolkit HERE.

Please use the graphics, hashtags and handles to share and celebrate your own achievements, commitments and perspectives.

@sustainablegolf
#golfforcommunities
#sustainablegolf
#sustainablecommunities

On 13 October 2024, as the Hainan Open final round of the European Challenge Tour was in progress, a unique children’s golf event was held at the Sanya Dadonghai Shanhaitian JW Marriott Hotel.

Since its founding in 2017, the GolfSixes League children’s event has gained popularity across Europe. This tournament is designed for children, organised by schools or clubs, featuring a short six-hole format that introduces kids to the joy of golf in a relaxed and enjoyable setting. Teams of two children compete to complete each hole with the fewest strokes, with the total score determining the winner.

That morning, 22 young golfers aged between 4 and 13 gathered at the hotel’s lush green lawn to take part in this novel event. They completed two par-3 holes, two par-4 holes, and two par-5 holes, with the best score being -10. Many of the players had previous golf experience, while others were playing for the first time. Through this event, the children not only learned more about golf and the importance of teamwork but also had great fun.

“This event was really innovative, unlike anything I’ve participated in before. For beginners, it’s easier to enjoy the game without feeling too rigid, and there’s a greater sense of achievement,” said Zhang Tianbin, a 13-year-old player who has been learning golf for nine years.

After the six-hole event, the children visited the Luhuitou Golf Club in Sanya to watch the final round of the Hainan Open European Challenge Tour. Guided by a commentator, they learned about flag reading, scorecards, and golf etiquette. Eventually, Danish player Hammers Braun won the Hainan Open in a playoff against Filipino player Wu Chunhui. The professionals’ performances surely planted seeds of aspiration in the minds of the young players.

Jerome Ng, R&A’s Director of Golf Development for the Asia-Pacific region, commented in an interview: “Our aim in promoting the GolfSixes League is to bring golf into cities and schools. The tournament is not limited by venues; as long as there’s flat ground and enough grass, children can easily experience golf up close. We’ve already tried this in Australia and other countries with great success. The format is well-liked by children, significantly boosting their interest in continuing to learn golf.”

The GolfSixes League’s essence lies in its unique six-hole format, as well as its flexibility and inclusiveness. The mini version of the league does not impose equipment restrictions; children can use plastic clubs and soft balls to enjoy golf anywhere and anytime.

This league was the first appearance of the GolfSixes League in China. The Sanya Dadonghai Shanhaitian JW Marriott Hotel provided the venue support, while the Hainan Golf Association, as the event’s organiser, played a crucial role in pioneering the event’s development in China. In the future, the European Tour and R&A will work with the China Golf Association to continue promoting this event across China, lowering the barriers for young people to experience golf, and enabling more children to enjoy and grow through the sport.

More information on GolfSixes League available at cp.golf/golfsixesleague

This article originally appeared at https://cp.golf/4h7Dst1

“Event Dashboard+ is the culmination of many months’ worth of customer research, development and testing to create a solution that delivers huge amounts of time-saving benefits to our customers”, comments Craig Higgs, Managing Director of Golf Genius International.

“From full-time Golf Professionals to club volunteers with more limited technical ability, any Golf Genius customer can set-up a golf competition from start-to-finish in 7 simple steps via this single dashboard.”

The latest product update consolidates Golf Genius’ deep product and market-leading functionality into one place: allowing easy location, selection and setup of processes across the entire tournament management system.

Colin Millar, Club Member and Volunteer at Carus Green Golf Club, commented: “We’ve been one of the earliest users of Event Dashboard+ and it has been game changing for our tournament process. It continues to deliver all the features from within Golf Genius Tournament Management, but in a way that’s easy to find, select and use.”

Event Dashboard+ is one of multiple new features released by Golf Genius in recent weeks as part of its latest bimonthly product development cycle. Other releases include scorecard label printing, a new competition tee booking interface, and hole-by-hole results input for matchplay competitions.

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To find out more about Golf Genius Tournament Management and its Event Dashboard+ feature, please contact intlsales@golfgenius.com.

The Westin Doha International Pro-Am has joined the CPG International Series for 2025, taking place from 15 – 20 February, promising to be a spectacular addition to the calendar of premier international golf events.

The Westin Doha and Education City Golf Club are the luxurious hosts for the event that will feature a unique blend of professional and amateur golf competition against the stunning backdrop of Doha’s skyline. The tournament will bring together top golf professionals and enthusiasts from around the globe for four days of exciting play and unparalleled networking opportunities.

The Westin Doha International Pro-Am will offer a blend of competitive spirit and exceptional hospitality, reflecting the CPG International Series’ commitment to providing diverse and high-quality events for golfers of all levels around the world.

Participants can look forward to a well-rounded event featuring top-tier golf, luxurious accommodations, and a vibrant social scene. The tournament is set to become a key highlight in the CPG International Series calendar, reinforcing the organisation’s dedication to celebrating the sport of golf on an international stage.

For more information on the The Westin Doha International Pro-Am visit https://cp.golf/2024westindoha.