Team Europe, helmed by Luke Donald, is gearing up for the upcoming Ryder Cup this week. They are eager to take the home soil advantage and undo the mishap of Whistling Straits in 2021. However, ahead of the biggest patriotic battle for golfers, the European captain has one more thing to worry about.

Golf courses, over the past few years, have landed in the crosshairs of climate activists. They view the sport as a leisurely activity for the ‘richest 1%” and have targeted golf courses in the last few years. A large-scale energy and water-intensive event as the Ryder Cup might attract a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons. But European captain Luke Donald seems to have sketched a ‘plan for everything’.

Luke Donald’s plan to safeguard his players at Ryder Cup

During a press conference, the obvious issue was brought to the European skipper’s attention. The former world no. 1, however, did not appear to be bothered. “I have no idea how likely it is but there’s a plan in place for everything.” Donald, nevertheless, was not flattered by the notion that climate activists might disrupt the tournament. Adding further on this, the five-time PGA tour winner said, “The guys will be told not to interact with the guys, let security deal with that and then we’ll carry on.”

Golf courses have come under increasing scrutiny for their usage of water. Most recently, some questioned the rationale behind hosting the Solheim Cup in a region gripped by severe droughts over the past few years. The Ryder Cup, too, being hosted in a country that has a long history of battling with severe droughts in the last year faces the threat from climate activists. It cannot be totally brushed aside.

In July, Extinction Rebellion (XR) Spain, plugged ten holes across Spain to denounce the excessive water usage. XR alleged one golf hole requires more than 22.000 gallons of water a day to maintain the surrounding area. Earlier, climate activists from the same group cemented the holes of Vieille-Toulouse golf club and the Garonne des Sept Deniers golf course in southern France.

Notably, Rory McIlroy, the six-time Ryder Cup veteran for Team Europe, has been a vocal supporter of climate justice. He has earlier expressed his desire to travel climate-neutral and has reportedly paid $150,000 to offset his carbon footprint. From recent actions by the golf courses, it appears he surely is not alone in acknowledging the issue.

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Golf courses are finally answering the longstanding sustainability questions

Marco Simone golf course management has also approached the sustainability question with due diligence. Already using Pure Dynasty seeded grass that have a reputation for its water-saving potential, they have also embraced local flora.

The course on Par 14 uses native grasses. The grasses, as per the curator, are low on maintenance. These indigenous grasses need to be cut only twice a year, and requires no additional fertilizer or water treatment. Marco Simone also uses a sustainable power supply corporation to make the event more energy sufficient.

Time will tell whether these actions are enough to placate the climate activists or not. Rest assured, these are all steps in the right direction.

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