Edition #9

'Fore' The Future

Golf and sustainability might not seem like an obvious pair, but there’s so much happening to make the game more eco-friendly. Every month, we’ll dive into some examples of how golf is embracing the environment and share how we’re applying those ideas to what we do at Stanners. It’s all about keeping the game we love sustainable—for the planet, the course, and future generations.

The AIG Women’s Open: Pushing the Green Agenda in Major Golf

Dates: August 21st–24th

Location: St Andrews, Scotland

Hosted at the Home of Golf, this year’s AIG Women’s Open returns to St Andrews with a bold sustainability agenda. The R&A, in collaboration with GEO Foundation, is leading a major push toward carbon-conscious operations for the championship. All tournament infrastructure is powered using renewable energy sources, and the event has partnered with local transit authorities to offer free shuttle access to reduce vehicle traffic and emissions.

One of the standout efforts this year is the plastic-free commitment, single-use bottles and packaging have been eliminated from all hospitality areas, with water refill stations available throughout the venue. Volunteers and players are also sporting kit made from recycled fabrics, while catering partners are sourcing 80% of ingredients within a 100-mile radius. The R&A has also pledged to measure and publicly report the championship’s carbon footprint, creating a valuable transparency benchmark for future majors. In doing so, the AIG Women’s Open is proving that historic venues can also lead in modern sustainability performance.

Sustainable Course Spotlight: Sentosa Golf Club’s Asian Eco-Model

Event: Sentosa Environmental Leadership Week

Dates: August 12th–15th

Location: 

Sentosa Island, Singapore

Although not a tour event, Sentosa Golf Club, one of Asia’s most lauded sustainable golf venues, is hosting its annual Environmental Leadership Week this August. This industry-facing gathering showcases the club’s commitment to biodiversity, water efficiency, and low-emission operations, offering inspiration to clubs worldwide.

Sentosa has replaced all course maintenance machinery with electric, or hybrid models and uses a closed-loop irrigation system that recycles and reuses greywater. Their fairways are lined with native species that reduce mowing needs and provide shelter for local bird and insect populations. This year’s sessions will also include a first look at their “Net Zero by 2028” roadmap, which outlines how one of the busiest courses in Southeast Asia intends to meet ambitious sustainability goals. Sentosa continues to blend elite playing conditions with forward-thinking conservation, showing that lush doesn't have to mean wasteful.

Emerging Voices: The Green Futures Youth Golf Lab

Date: August 17th

Location: Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA

Hosted by a collaboration between local environmental NGOs and youth sports foundations, the Green Futures Youth Golf Lab returns this August with a mission to connect young golfers with the environmental side of the sport. Taking place at an eco-certified course near Pinehurst, the one-day event offers hands-on learning: kids plant pollinator-friendly gardens on the course perimeter, build recycled-material tee markers, and attend a sustainability-in-sport workshop led by collegiate athletes.

This year introduces a new "Eco Caddie Challenge," where participants calculate and offset their day’s carbon footprint through real-time activities. Each student receives a sustainability journal to track their ideas and learnings, creating a direct link between environmental action and personal development in golf. Events like these foster a sense of ownership and responsibility in young players, reminding us that the next generation isn’t just inheriting the game, they’re already helping to reshape it.

From Course to Closet: What It Means for Us

At Stanners Golf, we take these August stories as powerful signals. Sustainability in golf is no longer a niche concern, it’s embedded in majors, modelled by top clubs, and shared with young players worldwide.

As we launch our new sustainable golf polo in ‘topaz blue’, we’ve leaned into those same values. Made from recycled polyester and containing corozo buttons, it’s a shirt designed not just to play well, but to tread lightly. Whether you’re teeing up at your home club or attending a world-class event, we want you to feel part of something bigger: a game in transition, led by those who care deeply about where it’s headed.

Golf is greening. Let’s keep driving it forward.