Fifteen years ago, Scandinavian golfers acted as both initiators and early adopters when they decided to contribute €0.5/year to research on sustainable golf, a decision that has been recognized all over the world. This farsighted decision to invest in ready-to-use research is today an important contribution by the golf sector to minimizing factors affecting climate change, stopping the accelerating loss of biodiversity and meeting the increasing need for sustainably managed green areas in the urban landscape.