What do the Sustainable Design Leaders say about the Programme?

Members who have completed the process, and have gained the recognition of being on the Sustainable Design Leaders Register, are positive about the benefits they have gained from completing the Programme. To read their comments on the benefits, click on their picture.

Council and the Sustainability Committee hope you are encouraged to follow their lead and complete the Sustainability Programme. Contact Lindsey Collumbell for the link to join.

Tom Mackenzie
“There is no doubt in my mind that completing the course has left me far better informed about all aspects of sustainability in relation to golf course design. And my approach to design has definitely been influenced by knowing more about the topic. I am also proud to be able to tell people that I am self-educated in sustainability. I completed the course when my own practice was really busy and I had a family at home. It was a matter of setting aside an hour at a time, and working through the webinars.”
Pierfrancesco De Simone
“Now that several members have completed case studies there is a range of examples for members of how one can be laid out, making the process easier than it might initially seem.“
Ken Moodie
“It’s not unduly onerous to complete the course if you set aside a regular timeslot to watch the webinars. I actually found completing the Case Study much easier than I expected, which is largely down to the good guidance given and the examples we can now see on the members only part of the EIGCA website. It made me think more about how renewable energy can be accommodated within a new or established golf course, and I this has led to a number of conversations with clients which will hopefully point them in the right direction. It has also inspired me to use two robotic mowers on a small golf course that I operate, and they save a great deal of cost in energy, as well as substantially reducing CO2 emissions.”
Marc Westenborg
“When I first started the course I was concerned that there might not be much to learn. However, I quickly realised how wrong I was. The presentations were excellent, and I gained a substantial amount of previously unknown information, which has already proved invaluable and will continue to in the future. The course itself isn’t particularly difficult, but anyone undertaking it should set aside a total of about a week for the presentations and case study. The case study especially did take me some time. After gathering the necessary information and inserting it into PowerPoint, the process took several days. Fortunately, the Covid lockdown provided me with ample time to complete the Sustainability Programme, so I was fortunate to have that extra flexibility. Throughout the course, Keith Duff was extremely supportive and helpful, and I would highly recommend that all EIGCA members make the time to complete it.”
Matt Schiffer
“One argument for going through the sustainability program is that we are privileged to be offered (for free!) a unique opportunity to learn about sustainable design from experts in a variety of fields, which can make us more conscientious (and arguably better) designers, so why wouldn’t we?"

Matt Schiffer gives his insight on taking part in the Sustainability Programme:

“One argument for going through the sustainability program is that we are privileged to be offered (for free!) a unique opportunity to learn about sustainable design from experts in a variety of fields, which can make us more conscientious (and arguably better) designers, so why wouldn’t we?

However, since that argument doesn’t easily compute to a return on a person’s time investment, I’ll make the following points that can perhaps be more practically understood and applied:

  • Becoming a Sustainable Design Leader changes the conversation with your clients – When a potential client calls about a project, I can (and do) now say with credibility that I believe in and practice sustainable golf course design.  The potential client will then either want to find out more about sustainable design or will disengage and hire someone else – but most will want to at least have the conversation to see what I’m talking about.  This has turned into a virtuous cycle where I’m beginning to work with better clients on jobs that prioritize sustainability because I now have the opportunity and knowledge to explain and sometimes quantify how sustainable design can be beneficial to their business (and the environment and the community) over both the short and long term. 
  • Designing more sustainably makes the work more meaningful – I believe (as many of us do) that the land on which golf courses are built should serve a greater function than simply as a place to play golf.  The sustainability program has given me the perspective to consider the land’s potential more broadly and the tools to enhance the beneficial impacts (and diminish the negative impacts) of the golf course.  This has made my work much more meaningful because I feel like I’m able to make a more positive impact on the planet.

I watched all of the webinars when they were posted in 2016, but didn’t feel like I had a project that could qualify for my case study until 2023.  If there are other people who are unsure of their ability to complete Stage 3 of the program for lack of an obvious case study, it’s important to note that there is now much more flexibility in the requirements for the projects that can be used for case studies, whether they’re new golf courses or significant renovations.  Keith was very open-minded when I approached him with a project that was still under construction and for which I was an associate designer, working for an experienced lead architect.  

Also, people should understand that they don’t have to wait until the project is totally built before starting their case study.  Working on my case study during construction had the dual benefit of (1) putting me in the right mindset and giving me the opportunity to make positive changes to the construction of the project as it was happening and (2) making it easier to collect information for my case study, including photos, exhibits, asking the contractor/owner/engineer questions about certain decisions, and so on.  Working on the case study alongside the construction didn’t feel like extra work, it felt more like a documentation of the work as it was happening.”