SMBC Singapore open 2020, Green Agenda Safeguards The Environment

SMBC Singapore Open 2020 will once again ensure “mother earth” is treated with the utmost respect.

Since 2018, tournament organiser Lagardère Sports, along with Sentosa Golf Club (SGC), have put into effect a “Green Agenda” that has set a benchmark for other events and their respective venues in the region to try and attain.

And this year sustainability initiatives have been stepped up in a whole host of new ways with a firm eye on keeping things green:

• In a first for Asia, there will be water stations on tee boxes for players to refill their bottles. The water stations will be sponsored by Salonpas and will be located at tee box 1 and 10.
• The public can also access water stations at the Village@18TH and Stands@17TH. Sentosa Golf Club also has water filling stations around the course which will be activated during the tournament.
• Players, officials, volunteers and media will be provided with reusable water bottles.
• Through this water station and reusable bottle initiative, the tournament is aiming to reduce plastic waste by 20%.
• No paper draw sheets will be available: spectators are recommended to download the draw from official app or visit the website. The tournament hopes to save more than 20,000 pieces of paper.
• Official public caterer, TCC, will be using cutlery made of paper and wood instead of plastic.
• All printed materials, such as the souvenir programme, hospitality packaging, spectator information, and posters, will use recycled paper.

“We have introduced some new elements to our Green Agenda this year which we are excited about, particularly the water stations and reusable bottles,” said Patrick Feizal Joyce, Senior Vice President, Golf, Asia, Lagardère Sports.

“Some of these are first-of-a-kind in Asia and we certainly plan to develop and implement new green themed ideas in the years to come.”

Year round SGC are also at the forefront of the need for the golf industry to be “green” through their #KeepItGreen Campaign, which they launched with great success in 2018.

“#KeepItGreen targets very relevant issues that relate not just to the game but those which are having a massive bearing for the future. Creating a legacy, with events like the SMBC Singapore Open, is such an important part of making a difference and encouraging change, and we’re confident that our message will resonate amongst the local community, and the wider international audience,” ,” said Andrew Johnston, General Manager and Director of Agronomy, Sentosa Golf Club.

Last year the club was voted the World’s Best Golf Club and Singapore’s Best Golf Course respectively at the World Golf Awards, and this was no doubt helped by it taking the lead on all things green.

Some of the key areas of SGC’s #KeepItGreen campaign include:

• Banning the use of plastic bottles in its golf carts. Instead, the club favours the installation of several water stations with paper cups – which equates to 150,000 water bottles each year.
• Banning the use of plastic straws.
• Introduction of bees into the community.

While the club is no stranger to winning awards for excellence in golf, its work to protect our future was also recognized in 2018 when their clubhouse received the highest level of award for environmental performance (BCA Green Mark Platinum). It was the first clubhouse at any golf club in Singapore to be accredited.

*Information and images credit to smbcsingaporeopen.com/