Sustainability, community engagement, and philanthropy at the Barracuda Championship

While the Barracuda Championship is known for being an annual professional golf competition on the PGA TOUR, it also serves several purposes that contribute to its mission and goals, including supporting initiatives focused on sustainability, community involvement, and charitable partnerships. 

Environmental stewardship at the championship

Every year, the championship hosts “Bike to the Barracuda,” a sustainability program that encourages spectators to seek eco-friendlier options for transport to the tournament in order to reduce their carbon footprint. Participants who opt to bike to the course grounds are incentivized with exclusive perks such as discounted admission and a complimentary drink, courtesy of event sponsor, FiftyFifty Brewing Co. This year’s Bike to the Barracuda takes place from July 18 to July 21.

In 2022, the Barracuda Championship partnered with destination marketing and management organization Visit Truckee-Tahoe (VTT) to help promote the competition’s conservation efforts through a volunteer opportunity that allowed Truckee High School athletes to facilitate waste management and sorting practices throughout the event and within each of the hospitality venues. Post-championship, VTT guided event producers when it came to connecting with upcycling organizations so that waste materials from the tournament (screened mesh, lumber scraps, etc.) could be safely repurposed. 

Similarly, before the 2021 Barracuda Championship, PGA TOUR professional Andrew Putnam participated in a sustainability campaign with the “Clean Up the Lake” crew to cleanup underwater waste and trash throughout the Lake Tahoe region. Putnam achieved his first PGA TOUR win at the 2018 Barracuda Championship. 

The importance of community engagement 

The event is also centered around community involvement and engages with local community members to foster relationships and leave a lasting impact.

This year, the championship is incorporating a new experience, “Folds of Honor Friday,” on Friday, July 19, which will allow fans, staff, caddies, players, sponsors, and volunteers to show their support for U.S. service members and first responders through red, white, and blue clothing that can be worn to the tournament. This newly introduced initiative provides attendees with the chance to honor and display unity for families of fallen or disabled American military service members and first responders.

Youth on Course (YOC) is a California-based nonprofit that provides greater golf opportunities for their youth members. The Barracuda Championship partners with YOC annually to have caddies take part in a unique experience learning from professional athletes during the tournament’s Pro-Am.  

The High Fives Foundation is another event partner that has been a pioneer in providing resources for adaptive sports, helping hundreds of athletes and veterans return to outdoor sports they’re passionate about after a life-altering injury. Ahead of the 2024 tournament, golfers Raul Pereda and Blaine Hale Jr. visited the High Fives Foundation facility to learn more about the organization’s purpose as well as adaptive surfer Cassie Eckroth’s journey and story as an athlete. 

In addition to the influential nonprofits the championship collaborates with, the event also gives individuals a range of volunteer opportunities, enabling them to get involved in different aspects of tournament operations. 

Charitable contributions 

The Barracuda Championship is actively involved in charitable efforts and has allocated more than $5.2 million dollars for charity since the event began in 1999. Support from charity partners, sponsors, and beneficiaries such as the American Cancer Society, University of Nevada Athletics, ANNIKA Foundation, AWS, and more have made it possible to host events at the tournament aimed at raising funds and awareness for various causes. 

By leveraging the sport of golf, the Barracuda Championship stands as a catalyst for positive change, continuing to support philanthropic and environmental causes to uplift and enrich local communities.