Boyne Golf becomes first E-Z-Go Green Ambassador
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important to both consumers and companies in many different industries. In the golf world, the golf cart brand E-Z-Go has taken a step towards increasing sustainability across the industry with its new Green Ambassador program.
In the last decade, the entire golf industry has begun to consider environmental impact more as golfers rely on clean air, water, healthy foliage and nice weather in order to enjoy their sport.
E-Z-Go is owned by the Georgia-based company Textron Specialized Vehicles. The company has been shifting more towards sustainability and decided to leverage its relationships with golf courses across the U.S. in order to teach and encourage environmentally-conscious practices.
“We saw an opportunity to leverage our sustainability initiatives and expertise here at E-Z-Go, as well as with golf courses that are really prioritizing environmental sustainability and doing everything they can to lessen their impact and to work together to really further sustainability in the golf industry,” said Danielle Comstock Textron, specialized vehicles sustainability manager.
“When it comes to our impact on the environment, it's not a competition. It's not something that we want to withhold our expertise in. It's where we want to share the best practices so that we can create a better future for everyone and keep the game of golf healthy and thriving for generations to come.”
When it came time to pick the first Green Ambassador, Comstock said Boyne Golf came to mind immediately because of their efforts to protect the courses' water by using natural grass as buffers, watering courses less frequently to save water and mowing less often to reduce fuel use, among other efforts.
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“When they approached us with this (opportunity) we jumped at it because, as a leader in the golf industry, we wanted to be able to show other golf courses that they can operate successfully with sustainability at the forefront,” said Mari Kissinger, director of ski services and sustainability at The Highlands.
“It's a way for us to get our messaging out there about the Forever Project, which is our initiative to be net carbon zero by 2030. The opportunity to share that story with others really appealed to us.”
Comstock added that “(Boyne Golf) have not only established ambitious sustainability targets like their Forever Project, but they also promote it very well and they make it a forefront."
"It’s so important to not only have these goals and targets but to make it a part of their identity and Boyne has done an excellent job of that,” she said.
Boyne Golf has 13 courses in the U.S., 10 of them being in Michigan. They are the first of many Green Ambassadors, as E-Z-Go is aiming to build up a nationwide network of industry leaders to share resources and ideas.
In order to begin building up that network, E-Z-Go developed a scorecard to determine which golf courses are truly prioritizing sustainability. Some of the criteria on the scorecard are using energy efficient, battery-powered golf carts instead of gas carts, energy efficient appliances and lighting, habitat and water conservation, recycling and waste reduction, as well as education, advocacy and community outreach.
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“It's just so important to, not only have targets in aiming to reduce your impact as much as possible, but to talk about it. Talk about it with your community and talk about it with the industry. Make sure that everybody understands this important to you and why, and also sharing the success stories, like we're doing with Boyne,” Comstock said.
Environmental concerns around golf courses include large water use, the use of fertilizers and other chemicals, mowing and removal of native plants and the removal of trees that absorb carbon dioxide, according to The Golf Course Environmental Profile produced by The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
These issues not only have long-term impacts, but also affect golf as course environments change as a result.
Through the Green Ambassador program, E-Z-Go is hoping to not just bring industry leaders together, but help other courses set and reach their sustainability goals.
The company plans to have an official ceremony naming Boyne Golf as the first Green Ambassador at the PGA Show in Orlando, Florida in January.
“At the end of the day, environmental sustainability is not a competition. It should be a collaboration to combat climate change across the industry. So the more we can do to work together, the quicker we can see positive changes,” Kissinger said.
— Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @Tess_Petoskey.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Boyne Golf to become first E-Z-Go Green Ambassador
