Since its inception in 2023, the Grant Thornton Invitational has been committed to sustainability efforts in collaboration with Dow and WM.

The tournament first began with a focus on materials management in its inaugural edition and has expanded those efforts in 2024 and now in 2025. The second Grant Thornton Invitational in 2024 leaned in further to its materials management strategy, providing reusable drinkware and composting options to patrons as well as implementing a post-event donation strategy, which saw 850 pounds of surplus food donated in the greater Naples community.

In 2024, the reusable cups initiative saw an 88 percent return rate with 4,400 single-service cups avoided, the water refill stations diverted use of nearly 15,000 water bottles, and 5,805 pounds of food were composted. Additionally, 31 percent of tournament materials were diverted from landfill, and the tournament reduced its material use overall by 40 percent.

In 2025, the Grant Thornton Invitational’s sustainability goals were just as lofty in hopes of once again diverting more materials from landfill and reducing material use overall. Alongside Dow and WM, the tournament operations team focused on five key areas for the third edition of the annual mixed-gender team event – advanced impact data collection, recycling and composting, investments in water and energy offsets, the integration of solar and battery-powered equipment and donation efforts.

Vendors were required to adhere to sustainability guidelines that specified which materials they could use on-site. For example, composting stations were deployed at back-of-house kitchens in an effort to maximize material recovery and divert more materials from landfills, while supporting regional soil health and long-term environmental resilience. Additionally, the tournament operations team identified which construction and demolition materials were suitable for donation or recycling.

There are also several areas in which water usage and carbon emissions were reduced. While diesel-powered generators are virtually always a necessity in running professional golf events, the Grant Thornton Invitational worked to use battery-operated power options.

To help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with travel, fans were encouraged to bike to the tournament, and hybrid or electric vehicles were procured for sponsor vehicles. Event operators also prioritized working with responsible local vendors and volunteers to reduce commute times.

Utility data from Tiburón Golf Club will also be leveraged in order to provide renewable energy credits and water restoration credits to other sustainability initiatives to offset the tournament’s electricity and water usage.

Combining all of the aforementioned efforts helps advance sustainability at the 2025 Grant Thornton Invitational, once again making this unique tournament a sustainability leader among the events annually featured on both the LPGA and PGA Tour schedules.

Grant Thornton Invitational Remains Committed to Sustainability in Collaboration with Dow, WM

Related Articles