The R&A is marking 10 years of Greenlinks at Royal Birkdale, where its sustainability programme is shaping operations and the spectator experience at The 154th Open.
Introduced in 2016, Greenlinks has served as the sustainability base for The Open and the AIG Women’s Open. Its work covers emissions reduction, circular economy principles, habitat protection and benefits for host communities.
Emissions and waste reductions
The Open has reduced on-site emissions by more than 93% through renewable electricity and Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil. HVO is a biofuel produced from waste materials.
The R&A also reports that all on-site energy now comes from renewable sources. This describes the Championship’s current energy mix, while the 93% figure measures the reduction in on-site emissions since its partnership with temporary power supplier Aggreko began.
Overall emissions from The Open fell by 11,785 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent between 2023 and 2025. No waste has been sent to landfill during the past five Championships, with materials reused, recycled or directed to energy recovery where other options are unavailable.
Daniel Lightfoot, Director of Sustainable Golf Development at The R&A, said: “We are proud of the progress Greenlinks has delivered over the past decade and remain committed to building on our commitment for many years to come.”
Greenlinks at Royal Birkdale
Spectators at Royal Birkdale can visit a solar-powered Sustainable Golf Hub in the Spectator Village. A new Nature Trail, created with Hilton Head Island, introduces visitors to the biodiversity of the links, while compostable packaging and a bench made from recycled Championship materials provide further examples.
Expanded solar installations and locally sourced food are also being used this week. More than 10,000 personalised journeys had been planned through the YouSmartThing travel service by 13 July, helping spectators compare lower-carbon routes to the course.
The Open Water Initiative, run with Mastercard and the Priceless Planet Coalition, provides refill points as an alternative to disposable bottles. The R&A says the programme has prevented the use of more than 750,000 single-use bottles since launching in 2019.
Links habitats and local communities
The R&A’s Sustainable Agronomy team works with ecologists and host venues to identify sensitive areas before each Championship. Surveys have recorded 2,145 species at Open venues over the past four years, informing spectator routing and other operational decisions.
Greenlinks also supports projects outside Championship week. More than £1 million has been distributed through The Open Legacy Fund during the programme’s first decade. For Royal Birkdale’s 2026 return, community organisations in Southport and Sefton may apply for grants worth up to £20,000.
The R&A’s Sustainable Golf Development team is holding a Greenlinks anniversary seminar at Royal Birkdale on Tuesday, 14 July. The 154th Open continues at the course until Sunday, 19 July.
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Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.