Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, has become the first club in the Middle East to be awarded the prestigious international certification as an Audubon Certified Cooperative Retreat, thanks to an unwavering commitment to sustainability efforts over the past year. friends Golf Via She also announced that this would pave the way for other golf clubs in Abu Dhabi – Yas Links and Yas Acres – to follow in sustainable footsteps.
Audubon International is a leading global environmental and sustainability certification company. The organization helps educate courses and staff to protect and preserve the natural environment and preserve their heritage sites, as well as recognizing outstanding sustainability efforts implemented by golf groups and courses.
Corey Finn, Golf Course Supervisor for the Abu Dhabi Group at Via Golf, said: “We are delighted to have achieved the re-accreditation of Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and this prestigious accolade in this field. We have enjoyed working with Audubon and our stakeholders over the past few years and will continue to work on this project to preserve and enhance the natural habitat of Saadiyat Beach through their consultations. Thank you to the entire Abu Dhabi team for their support of this important initiative.”
Since its opening in 2010, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club has prioritized the protection and enhancement of the area’s natural wildlife and habitats. The surrounding area is home to a number of animals such as humpback dolphins, hawksbill turtles and the most famous mountain deer. In recent years, the club’s owners have implemented protection schemes that have led to an increase in migratory birds and an increase in mountain deer numbers. Visits to Saadiyat Island are not only packaged as golf visits, but entire golf and wildlife experiences, and the club teaches its members and visitors to be aware of wildlife and play stops while enjoying the golf course.
To gain this recognition and recertification, the course must demonstrate that it maintains a high degree of environmental quality in several areas. These categories include environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation and water quality management.
Obtaining this recognition and certification requires significant effort and commitment from management, agronomists and on-site supervisors. Some examples of how Saadiyat Beach Golf Club meets these categories is the on-site reuse, recycling and water savings. The club has also created designated animal track habitats and is working on an accelerated plan to become plastic-free.
A major contributor to golf in Abu Dhabi, VIYA Golf owns, along with Dubai Golf, many of the best golf courses in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, including the Emirates Golf Club, Jumeirah Golf Courses, Dubai Creek Golf, Yacht Club and Top Golf. Dubai, Yas Links and Yas Acres, as well as Saadiyat Beach.
Consequently, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club has been able to implement sustainability efforts and ideas across the surrounding golf clubs. Through the involvement of supervisors and management groups, the sustainability model created will be replicated across other facilities. In addition, VIYA Golf prioritizes sustainability and environmental protection on its website and social platforms, demonstrating its commitment to sharing best practices and putting Abu Dhabi on the sustainability map.
Christine Kane, CEO of Audubon International, commented, “Saadiyat Beach has demonstrated a strong commitment to its environmental program. They should be commended for preserving Saadiyat Island’s stunning natural heritage by protecting the local watershed and providing a wildlife sanctuary on the golf course property.”
The Saadiyat Beach team has ambitious plans to continue encouraging their positive environmental growth. In the next few years all diesel buggies and vehicles will be replaced by electric ones and a major effort will be made to reduce waste throughout the club.
COP 26 will be held in Dubai in November, which is a great opportunity for the team to celebrate the sustainability practices of Saadiyat Beach and recognize its importance to the world of golf and wider sustainability in the Middle East. Furthermore, implementation from VIYA Golf and Saadiyat Beach continues to be recognized for future sustainability efforts and Audubon’s re-certification helps highlight its importance to the golf course community.