PGA TOUR Sustainability: Coming out of COVID-19 at the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
One of the strangest feelings is being too loud at a PGA TOUR event in an electric cart. Usually, the calm murmur of the crowd is enough to overwhelm any ambient noise made. This is one of the adaptations of a TOUR event without spectators. While an incredible amount of resources and capital have been lost due to COVID-19 in the sports and event industry, I left the two-time GEO-certified AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, an event absent with fans, filled with optimism. The opportunity to return is as strong as ever from a cohesive operational standpoint. In my discussions with other vendors and partners to the Pro-Am, there was a genuine sense of appreciation for camaraderie that I had not felt before being on-site. I had open and honest conversations and most were willing to listen more than ever about the tournament’s environmental sustainability programming. Perhaps it was the loss of many months of work that renewed energy working and collaborating around a unified goal continuing to symbolize that the time to capitalize on sustainability is now.
Typically lined with fans, the 5th tee at Pebble Beach Golf Links was absent of the customary “IN THE HOLE” typically yelled when the great John Daly tees off.
Continuing from an optimistic lens, the good news from limited or no fan tournaments is the decreased environmental footprint in hosting. Travel can account for well over half of any event’s carbon footprint. The same case can be made for waste even when proper recycling and food waste management are employed - more importantly speaking to events that do not have any type of recycling program. These are small wins that allow for stepping stones in acknowledging the silver lining of a limited or restricted attendance event coming out of COVID-19. Optically, sporting events have been a mixed bag of reflections by the public. I believe there is a sincere case for utility for sporting events during a pandemic. Outside of the obvious distraction sports provide, the resumption of the PGA TOUR has been able to keep many organizations and their employees in-tact, while the events industry as a whole has taken nothing short of a beat down.
The opportunity and takeaway I have had are to continue to build and weave sustainability into the fabric of all functions of an event, communication, partnerships, and of course operations. This time has also allowed me from a consultant standpoint to spend a greater amount of time with my clients. One of the greatest recent examples, the BMW Charity Pro-Am in Upstate South Carolina was awarded a publicly funded litter prevention grant. Because an event was able to position themselves as an ally with civic progression, funding was sourced to advance their sustainability program to ultimately allow for purchasing more infrastructure to capture recycling and food waste and build partnerships with their home county. This is one of the many examples of prioritizing community and sustainability during the reset from COVID-19.
Eventually, the roar of the crowd will resume, skyboxes will be at full capacity, and driving around in an electric cart will no longer be a noise concern. Until then, hosting a TOUR event offers a bit of normalcy returning to the host communities and all of the thousands of people that make each week a reality.
