The quiet before the storm: The Phoenix Open is the highest-attended golf tournament on the PGA Tour, drawing in a crowd of more than 500,000. Photo: Amanda Wills, Earth911
The PGA Tour isn’t known for its eco-friendly efforts. In fact, the game of golf in and of itself is a resource-intensive sport. The average 18-hole course covers 125-150 acres of land, all of which has to be maintained. Tack on a tournament or two, and that course’s footprint skyrockets.
The Phoenix Open is the highest-attended tournament on the tour, with a tally that totals to more than 500,000 people. Smack dab in the middle of a desert, water usage and waste production is a major concern. As title sponsor, Waste Management is determined to make it the No. 1 greenest tournament on the tour.
Earth911 got a VIP tour of the course before the tournament started on Thursday. Here’s the “front nine” of the greenest show on grass.
Huge Crowds, Zero Waste at the Phoenix Open
'Greenest Office Building in the World' to Open in Seattle
'Big Green Bus' Drives Recycling Empowerment