In the days leading up to the tournament, the BA-CA Open, presented by Telekom Austria, once again played host to a major European Golf Congress, organised by The European Tour and the European Golf Association (EGA).
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Following the success of last year's inaugural 'East meets West' conference in Vienna, which debated the development of golf in central and eastern Europe, this year's congress brought together the broader European golf community to address not only the furthering of the game, but also the wider issues of environmental responsibility and sustainable golf development.
Leaders of some 20 European Federations and Associations joined The European Tour, the EGA, the PGA of Europe and The R&A in a packed day-long programme, characterised by insightful presentations and lively debate.
The day's proceedings were kicked off with a keynote address by the Chairman of the PGA of Europe, Sandy Jones, setting the scene for the structural challenges for the development of golf in Europe.
Later, Jonathan Smith from Golf Environment Europe was joined by Jose Jorge Diaz del Castillo from the European Commission's Environment Directorate to give the audience a comprehensive overview of the Commission's Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) programme and how golf is working with all the relevant initiatives to maximise the industry's environmental responsibility.
Over lunch the delegates were formally welcomed by Grete Laske, Vienna's deputy mayor who spoke about the city's ambition to develop Austria's first municipal golf course. The day's proceedings were concluded with a session on golf business in the New Europe, led by KPMG's Andrea Sartori.
George O'Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, summed up the day's discussions by saying: "I believe that this has been an extremely successful forum in bringing together the major bodies of golf in a pan-European initiative. The key issues which we have debated - specifically with respect to the environment - are critical to the future and sustainable development of the game.
“We recognise that each European country faces its own unique challenges in golf and the Congress provides an ideal platform for these to be shared and appreciated by the European golfing community as a whole."
In a pre-cursor to the Congress, delegates were treated to an evening in the company of Nick Faldo and Austria’s favourite son, Markus Brier, at one of Vienna's top night venues overlooking the entire city skyline. In a highly symbolic night in the Austrian capital, bedded in the heart of Europe, the group reflected on the recent history of The Ryder Cup and the hugely significant role that the biennial contest has played in uniting European golf over the last 30 years.
