England Golf has been crowned winner of the Innovation category at the 2026 BASIS Sustainable Sport Awards, recognising the organisation’s pioneering Sustainability Platform that is helping transform environmental sustainability across the game.
The award celebrates an industry-first initiative that combines national habitat mapping, sustainability analytics and digital technology to provide golf clubs with detailed, evidence-based insights into their environmental performance and opportunities for improvement.
Developed in partnership with The Environment Partnership (TEP) and supported by YourPact, the platform enables England Golf and its affiliated clubs to better understand and manage key sustainability challenges and opportunities, including biodiversity, carbon capture, water management, flooding and climate resilience.
Since its launch earlier this year, the platform has established the first nationally consistent environmental evidence base for golf in England, covering more than 1,650 affiliated golf courses. It is already helping England Golf identify sustainability priorities at both national and club level, enabling targeted support and demonstrating the sport’s positive contribution to the natural environment.
England Golf Head of Sustainability Kirstin McEvoy said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have won this BASIS Sustainable Sport Award. This recognition reflects the collaborative effort that has gone into creating a truly innovative platform that helps make sustainability more accessible, practical and impactful for golf clubs across the country.
“What makes the platform unique is its ability to transform complex environmental information into clear, actionable insights. It helps clubs understand where they can make the biggest difference, while enabling England Golf to target its support where it can have the greatest impact.
“As a small Sustainability Team, the platform has become an invaluable tool in helping us prioritise our efforts and demonstrate the important role golf can play in supporting nature recovery, improving climate resilience and delivering wider environmental benefits.”
Designed to move beyond traditional sustainability reporting, the England Golf Sustainability Platform brings together a national habitat baseline, sustainability prioritisation framework, web-based mapping application and field data collection tools within a single integrated system.
The technology provides clubs with course-specific environmental insights, helping them make informed decisions about long-term planning, investment and course management, while strengthening golf’s contribution to national environmental goals.
The award also highlights golf’s growing leadership in environmental sustainability. The sport was strongly represented at the 2026 BASIS Sustainable Sport Awards, with multiple projects and individuals shortlisted across a range of categories, reflecting a sector-wide commitment to driving meaningful environmental progress.
Winning the Innovation Award marks a significant milestone for England Golf’s sustainability programme and reinforces its commitment to supporting clubs on their journey towards a more sustainable future.
For more information about England Golf’s sustainability work, visit England Golf Sustainability.