On February 11 and 12, Paris hosted a key meeting on biodiversity in golf, bringing together experts from across Europe. The initiative, organized by the French Golf Federation and the R&A, gathered more than 150 industry professionals, including owners, managers, greenkeepers, designers, players, and representatives from national federations, to share experiences and define strategies for the evolution of golf in terms of environmental sustainability.

The Royal Spanish Golf Federation was represented by David Gómez, Director of the Green Section, who emphasized that golf is an ideal sport for fostering and promoting biodiversity. As an example, he mentioned the National Golf Centre, which has been transformed from a former landfill into a nesting site for migratory birds traveling between Northern Europe and Africa.

The congress also provided an opportunity to learn about the progress in terms of biodiversity in countries such as France and the United Kingdom, presenting studies carried out in the last five years on the integration of golf into the ecosystem.

On the second day, held at the headquarters of the French Federation, discussions focused on how to unify action criteria. To this end, four working groups were organized, each focusing on:

.Action plans

.Data collection

.Communication

.Education and training

David Gómez emphasized that “the development of golf in Europe depends on the development of biodiversity, since restrictions on the use of pesticides are a reality. If we want to offer playable courses, we must continue along this path, promoting sustainability and biodiversity.”

The ultimate goal is the creation of an international collaboration platform, where each country can share its success stories in sustainability, demonstrating to society and politicians that golf is a sport committed to the environment and the conservation of biodiversity.