Young golfers come together #foretheocean

25/08/2021

A group of young golfers from Scotland were the first to participate in a brand-new project to help combat plastic pollution and reduce its impact on the planet.

#foretheocean is the brainchild of PGA Partner OCEANTEE who, through educational workshops and beach cleans, will help young people explore sources of pollution and the impact on marine environments.

The project also involves the Marine Conservation Society, who are providing the education elements, and The Ladies European Tour (LET) who hosted the launch session at The Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open on 10^th August at Dumbarnie Links.

Young golfers from The Fife Golf Trust, St Regulus and Lundin Links golf clubs took part in a beach clean, along with representatives from OCEANTEE, Trust Golf, Visit Scotland and LPGA player Stacy Lewis and LET player Camille Chevalier.

Taking place scientifically across a 100m area of beach, the group collected five kilos of litter in less than one hour. At the end of the session, the youngsters were given ideas and actions that they can take away and implement in everyday life and at their own golf clubs.

“Golf is played in beautiful places,” commented Founder of sustainable golf brand OCEANTEE and lead on the FORETHEOCEAN project, Ed Sandison.

“We want future generations to be able to enjoy the fabulous views and wildlife we all take for granted and that means taking action now to protect the environment. We hope these youngsters go away feeling empowered to become activists and inspire others to take action themselves.”

The data was recorded by The Marine Conservation Society to help them drive Government policy and keep track of the health of the ocean.

Jenny Griffiths, Education Manager at the Marine Conservation Society, added: “As well as using our beach clean data to understand pollution, the young golfers will also be making their own contribution to our database by taking part in a beach clean.

“We’ve been cleaning beaches and collecting data for over 30 years, which helps us identify patterns and inform our campaigns, so these young people really will help shape the future of our work.”

The project is aligned with the sustainability initiative that the LET launched last year – Celebrating the Green, which aims to champion environment, climate, and community action across women’s golf.

LET Commercial Director, Emma Allerton, added: “The LET is committed to working with our partners to create a positive change, which is why we are so pleased to be able to support this amazing project.

“There is an immediate impact in terms of the beach clean and in the longer term, it will be part of driving the conversation around the practical implications for golf and the environment.

OCEANTEE and The Marine Conservation Society plan to roll the education out in various formats to golf clubs and tournaments in the coming year.