SUSTAINABLE GOLF
#7 at Harbor Pines, photo by author
Sustainable Golf…???
Golf gets a bad rap, and in some cases rightfully so. But as a sport whose playing surfaces cover a land territory about the size of Switzerland, there is considerable positive that the sport and its stakeholders can contribute to sustainability and in particular biodiversity. Along with my colleague Jordan Moore, we do both scholarly and applied research (some with clubs) to help improve golf’s sustainability performance. In particular, we examine the intersections between golf and biodiversity, understanding the sustainability implications for course design and modification, and critically analyzing the different frameworks for sustainability that have been put forth by the game’s various governing entities. Spoiler alert: there’s ton's of potential for positive impact!
If you are interested in the broader relationships between sports and sustainability, I’d encourage you to check out the Sport Ecology Group (of which I am a member).
You can find links to our studies in this area below.
Jordan P. Howell and Jordan S. Moore. 2026. “Greens in Regulation: Biodiversity Strategy Implementation Across the Golf Industry” Business Strategy and the Environment. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70746
Howell, J. P., Moore, J., Petersen, L. A., & Crumrine, P. 2024. Biodiversity on golf courses: Role of sustainability certifications. International Journal of Sport Management, 25(4), 345-378.
If you want to learn more about our professional practice in this area, head to our consulting website, Double Albatross Design.
And in the meantime, check out the virtual panel on biodiversity and golf that I organized a while back.
Rancho Las Palmas CC, photo by author
Other sports and sustainability
I’ve also been fortunate to work on other research at the intersection of sport and sustainability.
Orr, M., Kellison, T., Ross, W. J., Trendafilova, S., Pelcher, J. A., Watanabe, N. M., Howell, Jordan P., Rouhas, Z. 2025. “Climate risks in motorsport: setting boundary conditions in Formula 1.” European Sport Management Quarterly, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2025.2503163
The Sport Ecology Group and The Sustainability Report. 2024. Three Years of Progress: A Review of Sustainability Across the 2021-2024 Olympic Cycle. Toronto, Canada.
United Nations Environment Programme, Madeleine Orr, Jack Pippard, Ugo Arbieu, Jonathan Casper, Tim Kellison, Jordan Howell, Walker Ross, Jessica Murfree, Brian McCullough, and Sylvia Trendafilova. 2022. Sport for Nature. Nairobi, Kenya.