WaterSmart Golf
Our Project
The WaterSmart Golf project, launched in September 2023, aims to promote sustainable water management on Lisbon's golf courses. Our diverse team is composed of members from three continents and of various academic backgrounds who each brought unique perspectives and expertise to the project.
We focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6) and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11). After identifying the high water consumption by golf courses in Lisbon as a critical issue, we centred our efforts on improving water sustainability in these areas, leading to our design challenge: improving water sustainability within Lisbon’s golf courses.
We initially planned to collaborate with a local golf course but decided to shift plans and organise a webinar on sustainable water management. This event engaged golf course managers, sustainability experts, and other stakeholders to share knowledge and best practices. With over 70 registrants, the webinar highlighted significant interest in sustainable practices. Participants gained practical strategies for water management and understood the environmental and financial benefits. The feedback from the webinar was positive, confirming the event's effectiveness and broad appeal. To ensure lasting impact, we created a website summarising our findings and team efforts.
Overcoming initial remote collaboration challenges, our team leveraged each member’s strengths and adapted strategies to succeed. This project advanced our understanding and advocacy for sustainable water management in golf courses and offered valuable experiences in teamwork, stakeholder engagement, and project execution. We thank all participants, speakers, and stakeholders who contributed to our success, helping us to successfully pursue this project.
Our accomplishments
Key Figures:
- 71 registrants
- Around 40 attendees throughout the 2 hour webinar
- Over 100 people reached total
The webinar was a cornerstone achievement of our project, facilitating knowledge exchange, collaborative engagement, and increased awareness about water sustainability in the golf industry. Participants gained insights into practical strategies for addressing water mismanagement, and the event fostered a sense of community and shared purpose among industry stakeholders.
- Knowledge Exchange: Participants learned from global experts and shared best practices. “So… How do you do Sustainable Golf?” This was the question that the webinar tried to answer.
- Collaborative Engagement: The webinar encouraged discussions and networking beyond geographical boundaries.
- Awareness and Advocacy: Highlighting the environmental and financial implications of water mismanagement raised awareness and advocated for sustainable practices. “Join the movement, express your commitment and accelerate your journey,” this quote by Robbie Fitzpatrick encapsulates the main focus of the project, to spread awareness on sustainability, and to show what it means to be part of the movement towards it.
Want to continue this project?
If you, or anyone that you know would like to continue this project and build on the progress already made, please do not hesitate to use any of the materials available on this website or to contact us at watersmartgolf@forward-college.eu via email for any further information.