As the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship signals the start of the DP World Tour Play-Offs from November 6–9, the DP World Tour, golf’s global Tour, is proud to celebrate a major step forward in its sustainability journey.
For the first time in Rolex Series history, every event on the schedule will be hosted at a GEO Certified® venue, a distinction that recognises leadership in sustainable golf and which underscores the Tour’s long-term commitment to responsible golf operations.
Assured and awarded by the GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, GEO Certified® is a comprehensive and externally accredited sustainability certification, custom built for golf. It includes rigorous, independently verified assessment across four key themes and twelves action areas, directly connected to the Sustainable Golf Framework – Nature and Turfgrass; Resource Conservation; People and Communities; and Climate Action.
The certification recognises both best practices and projects to date, as well as taking continual improvement plans into consideration.
COMPLETING MILESTONE
With the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Genesis Scottish Open, and BMW PGA Championship already successfully completed earlier this year at certified facilities – Emirates Golf Club, The Renaissance Club, and Wentworth Club – the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, hosted at Yas Links Abu Dhabi, and the DP World Tour Championship, at Jumeirah Golf Estates, will complete this unprecedented sustainability milestone next month.
The goal became reality when Yas Links Abu Dhabi achieved GEO Certified® status earlier in 2025, becoming the final venue to join the group of certified Rolex Series hosts.
The venue was recognised for exceptional performance across multiple sustainability pillars, including the use of treated waste water for irrigation, restoration of native dune and mangrove habitats, implementation of advanced irrigation audits resulting in measurable water usage reductions, and enhanced biodiversity protection.
This achievement reinforces the DP World Tour’s position as the only professional golf tour committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040 through its Golf for Good programme’s Green Drive initiative and demonstrates the collective dedication of golf’s elite venues to environmental stewardship, resource conservation, and community engagement.
PROUD QUOTES
Maria Grandinetti Milton, Director of Sustainability at the DP World Tour, said: “As we approach the final two Rolex Series events of 2025, we are immensely proud that this year has seen all five of our most prestigious tournaments hosted at venues that are recognised for their own leading efforts. This is a testament to the shared commitment between the DP World Tour and our venue partners to lead by example in environmental responsibility. It also echoes the approach of our own agronomists towards responsible turfgrass and golf course management. The Rolex Series represents the pinnacle of our Tour, and having these championships staged at facilities demonstrating world-class sustainability practices reinforces our values and our determination to ensure golf continues to be a force for positive change.”
Corey Finn, Cluster Director of Agronomy for Viya Golf, added: “Achieving GEO Certified® earlier this year was a proud moment for our entire team, and hosting the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship as part of this historic Rolex Series milestone makes it even more meaningful. Sustainability is embedded in everything we do – from protecting native habitats and reducing our water footprint to engaging local communities in environmental education. We’re honoured to play our part in demonstrating that championship golf and environmental responsibility are not just compatible, but complementary.”
Carole Kerrey, Director of Impacts at GEO Foundation, congratulated Yas Links and the other Rolex Series venues, adding: “We are delighted to provide this distinction to such a prominent cohort of golf facilities. Their leadership is vital in showing that every part of golf – from major championship venues to small community courses – carries both a unique responsibility and opportunity within its local landscape. Collectively, each facility plays a role in a much broader movement for golf to support nature, strengthen communities, and contribute meaningfully to global climate action.”
This year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will continue to showcase innovative sustainability practices through several key initiatives. The tournament features a substantial increase in solar panels and power storage batteries across the site, including 120 solar panels and a 250kVa battery in the spectator village – the first year implementing a new mid-size battery that significantly reduces diesel generator operating hours.
Water walls and mobile water dispensers will follow crowds around the course, eliminating over 60,000 single-use plastic bottles. Additionally, an anaerobic digester will process food waste efficiently, diverting it from landfills and reducing carbon emissions.
Fans looking to attend next month’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship can secure general admission tickets free of charge for the first two days of the event. For the final two days, tickets start at just AED 100.
