St. Andrews Links earns Golf Environment Organization’s ecolabel

St. Andrews Links has become the first Open Championship venue to earn the Golf Environment Organization’s ecolabel, a tribute to the Links’s commitment to sustainability, according to the GEO.

The resort comprises seven golf courses managed by St. Andrews Links Trust, including the renowned Old Course and the Castle Course. The Trust has employed sustainable practices for years, and the accredited verifier, Mike Wood, said those practices were “close to defining an ideal model for sustainable management.”

GEO Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Smith presented a plaque of recognition to Euan Loudon, CEO of St. Andrews Links Trust. “We take our duty to manage St Andrews Links sustainably as a golfing resource for future generations extremely seriously,” Loudon said.

Among other things, the GEO verification report praised the Trust’s “social responsibility and community engagement” and the environmental nature of the Links’ clubhouses, retail outlets and other facilities.