Old Head Golf Links wins Visit Cork 2024 Green Award

Visit Cork has announced the Old Head Golf Links, Kinsale, as the winner of the Visit Cork 2024 Green Award.

The awards programme was established in 2020 to encourage and reward businesses in the tourism sector across the county that demonstrate a commitment to operating sustainably. Applications were judged on their projects and initiatives across areas such as Environmental, Social, Governance, and Economic Sustainability.

Speaking about the awards this year, Head of Visit Cork, Seamus Heaney, said: “We were delighted with the quality of the applications for the Visit Cork Green Awards this year.

“Applicants demonstrated a great commitment to sustainability across all pillars, and many of them were particularly strong in communicating their impact in the local community. One element that really stood out this year was the commitment to staff training and team engagement, with businesses demonstrating the importance of getting their teams involved and helping to provide them with the necessary information and skills to drive their sustainability agenda.”

In reference to the winning business, he noted: “One of the elements that most impressed the judges in the Old Head Golf Links application, was their recent initiative to improve their waste management processes.

“Through the introduction of new segregated bins, use of clear signage, and a comprehensive waste audit conducted over several weeks, the business managed to make significant changes in the habits of both the staff and guests.

“This was just one element of their application, which also included a strong commitment to biodiversity as well as the ongoing work towards the implementation of the ISO 20121 Sustainable Event Management System.”

Speaking on behalf of the winners, Anne-Marie Duggan, HR Manager at The Old Head Golf Links, said: “The Old Head is steeped in history and it is our role to maintain and respect the natural environment where we are located, by sustaining the native plant and animal life that are integral to the Old Head experience.

“But it is also to make the necessary changes to our infrastructure and policies, to ensure that we are operating as a sustainable business. We have been working extremely hard over the last few years to make initial improvements, particularly around waste management. We are thrilled to have won the Visit Cork Green Award in recognition of all their hard work and we will continue this journey of continuous improvement each year.” The other businesses shortlisted for this year's award included Ocean Escapes and Trigon Hotels.