New partnership for EGD and GEO
17 November 2009
European Golf Design has announced it will involve the Golf Environment Organisation in all of its forthcoming projects, following the recent establishment of GEO’s technical services arm.
The international non-profit body has set up a wholly owned subsidiaryknown as GEO Development.
Jonathan Smith, chief executive of GEO said: “GEO is, and always will be, a non profit ‘developmental’ organisation – undertaking non-commercial action that improves golf’s social and environmental performance. This is demonstrated by our focus on developing GEO Certification, non-proprietary guidance for management, development and events, sharing knowledge, formulating campaigns and other wide-ranging advocacy and communications. However, we don’t just want to produce guidance. We want to work with projects to showcase sustainability in action. In particular we want to get involved in those golf developments that have the potential, and willingness, to deliver meaningful benefits to people and the planet.
EGD managing director Jeremy Slessor, explained the importance of the decision to the practice: “What we need to see, perhaps more than anything else, is real world exemplars of sustainable golf facility development. We like the responsible and logical approach GEO has established – initially vetting projects, scoping the sustainability potential, helping to capture the concept and marking out the path to fully integrated solutions.”
The two organisations have already cut their teeth on a project in the Cape Verde islands. An investor has plans to extend an existing tourist resort into a larger golf, property and leisure complex. GEO has carried out an initial Scoping Report for the scheme, and produced a Sustainability Action Plan for the masterplanning and design phases. GEO’s interest in the project lies in the potential it has to regenerate the social and physical landscape of an impoverished and environmentally degraded region. Combining the delivery of a high quality development which also fulfills the targets of national government and international agencies by stimulating a positive multiplier from much needed inward investment.