The Waste Management Phoenix Open

The Waste Management Phoenix Open which kicked off today is one of the first and most exciting events on the PGA Tour schedule, attracting huge crowds. Indeed it is the best attended golf tournament in the world .Poor weather last year kept the numbers down somewhat, although over 420,000 attended through the week. The record attendance is 538,356.

Why is this event so popular? Could it be because of the beautiful location in Scottsdale, Arizona? Could it be because the weather is usually wonderful? Could it be that the best golfers in the world come to play in this prestigious event? The answer – yes, yes and yes. And then there is the other yes – it is the “greatest and greenest show on grass”.

The estimated 144,000 golf balls used will be recycled or donated at the end of the tournament. They also aim to recycle 65% of the waste that is collected.

Last year recycling efforts saved 756 mature trees. They also saved 311220 gallons of water. Again this year Waste Management are working closely with vendors to track all water usage – and for the first time they are implementing the use of greywater or wastewater generated from concessions kitchens, which is recycled for on site use in portolets.

Sixty solar power trash compactors on the course hold five times the waste of typical containers and reduce related greenhouse emissions by eighty per cent.

“Going for the green” will be for the player who gets his ball closest to the pin. A donation of $25,000 will be donated in his name to keep America beautiful.

Finally –on Saturday February 5th - everyone – players, caddies, fans, vendors and officials have been asked to wear green apparel to show solidarity with the environmental cause. Tournament chairman Mike McQuaid said “we want to see a sea of green walking the grounds of the TPC Scottsdale”.

For everyone who wears green – the tournament hosts Thunderbirds will donate some “green” to Arizona Clean and Beautiful, a nonprofit organization. A green squad will be on hand counting all things green. Also on the same day, Saturday, there is Random Acts of Green where fans are encouraged to post updates, photos and videos at the open or in their daily lives. Top examples will win prizes.

Oh – and the golf! Many of the fans make their way to the stadium-style par-3 16th hole. When Tiger Woods scored a hole-in-one here back in 1997, the roar of the crowd could be heard 10 miles away.

The TPC Scottsdale is not the toughest course on tour, (it was ranked as 38th most difficult of the 52 tracks the circuit visited in 2010,) and it often produces low scoring - three men hold the course record of 60: Grant Waite, Phil Mickelson and Mark Calcavecchia. It tends to be the man with the hottest putter who comes out on top in this event.

Over the years there have been some notable winners of the tournament - Arnold Palmer won three in a row in the early 1960s, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller and Sandy Lyle have also taken the title.

Last year Hunter Mahan fired a superb closing round of 65 to win by one over fellow Oklahoma State alumni Rickie Fowler.

Just4theplanet stands in awe at this incredible achievement by Waste Management. This company has proven that green industry can make a very healthy profit while promoting the environmental agenda. Golf is probably the most popular sport on the planet. This week in Arizona it is golf that is supporting it.

The Sponsor Waste Management Inc is based in Houston Texas and is the leading provider of comprehensive waste transfer, recycling and resource recovery and disposal services. It is also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste to energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company’s customers include residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers throughout the United States.