Golf Ireland will host a special two-hour live broadcast this morning exploring how the game is adapting to a changing climate.
The Sustainable Swing – Golf in a Changing Climate will be broadcast from 11 am to 1 pm to an audience across Ireland and Europe, with proceedings also taking place before a live studio audience.
Hosted by Sport for Business CEO Rob Hartnett, the programme will feature contributions from The R&A, DP World Tour, GEO Foundation, Uisce Éireann and Golf Ireland, alongside club representatives sharing their experiences of managing biodiversity, water, woodland, coastal environments and protected species.
The emphasis will be on practical solutions and the commercial and environmental benefits of taking action.
Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly will open the programme before Daniel Lightfoot, Director of Sustainable Golf at The R&A, outlines the international governing body’s approach to sustainability and the challenges and opportunities facing the game.
Lightfoot brings experience from across the golf industry, having progressed from assistant greenkeeper through course management and education to his current leadership role at The R&A.
His belief that golf has a unique opportunity to demonstrate environmental leadership will provide an international perspective on the work already taking place in Ireland.
From Strategy to Action
One of the central features of the broadcast will be an examination of Golf Ireland’s ongoing ecological audit programme.
Golf Ireland ecologist Alan Lauder will share findings and lessons from 77 golf club ecology audits, highlighting how clubs can better understand the natural environments they manage and translate that knowledge into meaningful action.
Lauder brings more than 35 years of experience in nature conservation, habitat management and species protection.
The programme will then move to six individual club case studies, demonstrating the different sustainability challenges facing golf courses across the island.
David Reilly, General Manager of Headfort Golf Club, will discuss woodland management and efforts to tackle invasive species.
Jerry Grant, Chair of Uisce Éireann and a member of Bray Golf Club, will explore water security and the growing importance of planning for future supply pressures.
From Strandhill Golf Club, President Pat Glynn will examine the responsibilities of managing a course within a designated coastal environment, including protecting sensitive dunes and habitats.
Justin Lowry, General Manager of Dún Laoghaire Golf Club, will discuss how biodiversity can be incorporated into course design and management, including members’ response and preparations to host the 2027 KPMG Women’s Irish Open.
Kieran Kelliher of Castlegregory Golf Links will share the club’s experience of working alongside its local community to protect native species, including the Natterjack toad.
The sixth club perspective will come from Aaron McConnell, General Manager of Knock Golf Club in Northern Ireland, focusing on stream and stream-bank management and how ecological improvements can benefit both the natural environment and the playing experience.
Together, these examples will demonstrate how sustainability looks different from club to club, but how practical improvements can be achieved through better information, planning and cooperation.
Ryder Cup 2027 and the Sustainability Legacy
The final major discussion will look towards the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor and the opportunity it presents to establish a lasting sustainability legacy for Irish golf.
Maria Grandinetti Milton, Director of Sustainability at DP World Tour, will join Jonathan Smith, Founder of GEO Foundation, to examine the environmental ambitions surrounding one of golf’s biggest international events.
Grandinetti Milton has played a central role in the development of the DP World Tour’s Golf for Good and Green Drive initiatives, including commitments around climate action, participation and community impact.
Smith has spent more than 25 years advancing sustainable golf internationally, with GEO Foundation programmes now operating across 75 countries.
Their conversation will explore what a sustainable Ryder Cup might look like and how the benefits of hosting the event can extend beyond the tournament itself.
A Wider Responsibility for Irish Golf
The programme comes at a time when sustainability is becoming an increasingly important operational and financial consideration for golf clubs.
Changing weather patterns, pressure on water resources, energy costs, ecological responsibilities and the management of vulnerable landscapes are all influencing how courses are operated and maintained.
Golf Ireland’s approach connects national and international expertise with the everyday realities of club management.
The programme is aimed particularly at club managers, course managers, greenkeepers, committee members and those responsible for making decisions about the long-term future of their facilities.
It will also be relevant to the wider sport business, where sustainability is increasingly part of governance, investment, sponsorship and the development of major events.
The broadcast will conclude with Hartnett in conversation with Karen Morton, Golf Ireland Board Member and member of its National Sustainability Committee, reflecting on the morning’s lessons and the importance of building momentum across the sport.
The Sustainable Swing – Golf in a Changing Climate takes place this morning, Tuesday, November 10th, from 11am to 1pm, with live online participation available to audiences across Ireland and Europe.
The ambition is straightforward: to demonstrate that protecting the natural environment and protecting the long-term future of golf are increasingly two sides of the same conversation.
Golf Ireland is a full member of the Sport for Business Community. If you would like to join them and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the daily conversation around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.
Image Credit: Golf Ireland
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