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Wildlife & Nature Conservation

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Wildlife & Nature Conservation

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Water Use

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Energy Use

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Wildlife & Nature Conservation

Almost all golf courses can be valuable to nature and wildlife. There need be no conflict between having a great golf course and helping with the recovery of wildlife and biodiversity.

These are examples of what golf courses around the country have done in recent years.

Wood You Believe It? Up-Cycle Project

13 November 2024

After one of our bi-yearly tree audits, several trees were identified as dangerous and therefore needed to be felled. This, and the collection of several old pallets, had left us with wood in need of re-purposing. As a result, the Redbourn Golf Club’s maintenance crew set out to find the best way to utilize the remaining wood.

The Woodland Cup: A New Trophy Highlighting Sustainability at Nevill Golf Club

6 November 2024

Nevill Golf Club in Tunbridge Wells is an example of a club taking sustainability seriously and doing it in innovative ways. The Woodland Cup is a new trophy competition there, now in its second year. The competition is organised by the Nevill’s Sustainability Sub-Committee and is aimed at promoting sustainability to members.

Baby Tawny Owl Release at the Nevill Golf Club

6 November 2024

Nevill Golf Club in Tunbridge Wells is an example of a club taking sustainability seriously and doing it in innovative ways. As part of an ongoing relationship between the golf club and the rescue centre, five gorgeous baby tawny owls were released on the golf course in September this year (2024).

HIBERNACULA FOR AMPHIBIANS

29 April 2024

Common frog and common toad populations have been reported as being in decline since the 1970s. Common toad populations have declined across the UK by 68% over the past 30 years, which approximates to a 2.26 % decline per year.

Bat Boxes

29 April 2024

Pleased to report 11 Chavenage bat boxes have been kindly erected by Steve Parker & Nigel Tranter in an ‘out of play area’ on the course to supplement natural roosting places which are becoming rarer.

Building a Dead Hedge

15 April 2024

So, what is a Dead Hedge? “A dead hedge is a barrier constructed from cut branches, saplings, and foliage. The material can be gathered from activities such as pruning or clearing, and in traditional forms of woodland management, such as coppicing. Its ecological succession can be a beetle bank or hedge.”

WOODLAND MANAGEMENT at Cosby Golf Club

16 January 2024

In September 2023, it was proposed to the Club’s Board, that we develop a comprehensive Woodland Management Plan (WMP). This initiative is essential to promote greater air circulation and ingress of light in areas of play that are currently heavily shaded.

LOOK WHAT WE’VE DONE

22 November 2023

Hinckley Golf Club’s new Ecology Group reports to the club directors on its first few months Reproduced with kind permission of Hinckley Golf Club

BEETLE LOGGERY at RUTLAND WATER

18 November 2023

Upright log piles can provide a habitat for many species of deadwood feeding (Saproxylic) invertebrates in public areas of woodlands, parks and Nature Reserves, in places where standing deadwood cannot be left due to safety reasons.

The Greenest of Greenkeepers

3 October 2023

When I started green keeping 18 years ago I didn’t know anything about nature, or golf for that matter, I just wanted to work outside. Over that time, more and more focus has been put onto sustainability and working in ways to benefit nature, and rightly so.

Foxgloves in the Conifers

25 September 2023

For the past five years a small team of volunteers at Market Harborough Golf Club have, with the support of the club’s board of directors, been following a series of environmental policies and projects ranging from single use plastics and recycling, to LED lighting and on course environmental enhancements.

Making Homes for Slow Worms

30 May 2023

Slow worms are neither worms nor, in fact snakes, but a small genus of snake-like legless lizards in the family Anguidae. Its identity is given away by its abilities and blink with its eyelids.

Introducing the Hornet Moth

31 March 2023

The Hornet Moth (Sesia apiformis) is the largest of our region’s clearwing moths and also one of the rarest. There are currently only seven known colonies within the East Midlands (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Rutland).

Badger Deterrents: A Case Study from Ullesthope Court Golf Club

1 March 2023

As with many clubs, Ullesthorpe Court GC has experienced much badger damage in the last few years, particularly on and around our greens. A couple of methods were attempted, using sprays and smells, but with no success.

Making Homes for Newts

17 November 2022

UPDATED JANUARY 2023: There’s a new Head Greenkeeper at Glen Gorse Golf Club: James Burberry, a passionate wildlife enthusiast, is working with the help of key members like Alan Herbert, on initiatives to benefit nature. The first, and the more unusual, is a project to restore and expand habitats for a local newt population.

REMOVING TREES ATCHARNWOOD FOREST GC

22 September 2022

MAPPING AND IDENTIFYING TREES FOR REMOVAL

Building a Barn Owl Tower

19 July 2022

As part of a larger project for Sleaford Golf Club, we obtained planning permission on an old barn on the course that served no purpose. This will give the club much needed funds to take it forward. However, the barn itself had resident barn owls and as part of the planning conditions we had to make provision for a replacement home.

Greetham Valley Golf Club Composting

6 July 2022

We started composting about 10 years ago when I suddenly realised that the ‘green waste’ top dressing that I was buying in for our weak fairways was something we could produce on site.

Greetham Valley Golf Club Bird Hides

5 July 2022

To complement the wide range of activities we can offer at GVGC, and because of the BIRD FAIR held annually at Rutland water (no longer!), we set about building a couple of bird hides and a floating island. We mapped out a walk for our hotel guests to enjoy some of the wildlife we attract at our golf course.

Tree Nursery Or Not Tree Nursery at Lingdale Golf Club Featured Image

Tree Nursery Or Not Tree Nursery at Lingdale Golf Club by Peter Haddon

5 July 2022

After a number of attempts to secure a delivery of trees, we were grateful to receive a box of "whips" from the Woodland Trust - 100 plus plugs tied in bundles of 10/15. An interesting point to make here is that a "whip" can be anything from 1ft (30cm) to 3ft (90cm).

Fulford Heath Golf Club - Biodiversity Featured Image

Fulford Heath Golf Club – Biodiversity Project

4 July 2022

Fulford Heath Golf Club in Wythall, Worcestershire has had a long history of striving to enhance the biodiversity of their course with the inclusion of wildflowers, installing bird boxes, bug houses, introducing hedgehogs to the course and more.

The Hawk and Owl Trust Case Study Featured Image

The Hawk and Owl Trust at MHGC

15 June 2022

Following a chance contact at a wildlife trust talk at Rutland Water, Market Harborough Golf Club made contact with the Hawk and Owl Trust, and its East Midlands regional officer, Simon Dudhill.

Water Use

As the planet warms, using water carefully, and not polluting it, becomes increasingly important.

While we wait for case studies on this topic, have a look at these slides on a water usage project taken from the Greetham Valley presentation, available in full in our LIBRARY, under the GENERAL label.

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Energy Use

Saving energy has obvious environmental and financial benefits. The goal of becoming ‘sustainable’, and ‘net zero’ is one that is becoming widely adopted.

While we wait for some case studies on this topic, have a look at these slides on energy use taken from the presentation by Luffenham Heath GC. The whole presentation is available in our LIBRARY

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Stonebridge Golf Centre’s Journey to Sustainability with UtilityWorks

2 August 2023

Stonebridge Golf Centre, a renowned golf club, has been working with UtilityWorks for several years. UtilityWorks has managed their entire utilities portfolio, allowing Stonebridge to focus on their core business. The partnership has led to significant savings in time, money, and energy consumption.

NEW EQUIPMENT FLEET

22 September 2022

12 months ago the main season equipment at The Leicestershire was on its last legs to say the least. With one fairway mower sent to the graveyard and the remaining over 20 years old… things had to change.

Waste & Recycling

Waste is created in all areas of the golf club. Reducing waste can be a good thing in many ways. In particular, reducing plastic usage and waste is a global issue.

While we wait for some case studies on this topic, have a look at this slide on Waste and Recycling taken from the presentation by Luffenham Heath GC. The whole presentation is available in our LIBRARY

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Chemical Use

Chemicals can often be harmful to the environment, and green-keeping practices are changing. And they are changing without affecting playing surface quality.

Some examples of what some clubs are doing are here.

Sustainable Greenkeeping – Reducing Inputs and Chemical Usage

19 July 2022

The world is changing around us and we are expected to become more sustainable and greener. But what does that mean for golf courses? Are they not all ready green?

Purchasing

A golf club can have a beneficial impact beyond its doors by careful choices and purchases of products and services.

While we wait for some case studies on this topic, have a look at these slides on purchasing policy taken from the presentation by Luffenham Heath GC. The whole presentation is available in our LIBRARY

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Education & Training

Education and training is about raising the awareness of members (both old and young), of staff and of visitors.

Golf clubs are adopting a wide variety of approaches to this challenge.

While we wait for some case studies on this topic, have a look at these slides on informing and involving members taken from the presentation by Luffenham Heath GC. The whole presentation is available in our LIBRARY

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LOOK WHAT WE’VE DONE

22 November 2023

Hinckley Golf Club’s new Ecology Group reports to the club directors on its first few months Reproduced with kind permission of Hinckley Golf Club

The Rachel Carson Bowl

20 October 2022

At Market Harborough Golf Club we recognised the need to raise members’ awareness of our activities, especially when so much of what we are trying to do is, by definition, low profile or has a lengthy lead-in or incubation time. One way of doing this, and at the same time raising some funding, was to organise a new club competition.

Grants & Funding

Much of what golf clubs can do to be ‘greener’ can be done for little or no cost. But some developments and initiatives will cost money, certainly at the beginning, even if there are long term financial benefits.

We hope to share ideas and information with respect to funding and grants below.

Reviving the Black Poplar: Branching Out With the Tree Council

29 November 2022

By the end of this year Cold Ashby Golf Centre will have planted about 650 new native trees. Our aim was to increase biodiversity, create wildlife habitats, strengthen the playing strategy required for some holes and reinforce its attractive landscape.

MOREwoods and MOREhedges

16 November 2022

The Woodland Trust is based here in Grantham and they have 2 schemes called MOREwoods and MOREhedges. You can apply to them for advice, funding and supply of saplings. At SGC we did this and received over 2,500 saplings, together with guards and stakes.

Check out what’s been keeping us busy

Check out what’s been keeping us busy

Wildlife & Nature Conservation

Water Use

Energy Use

Waste & Recycling

Chemical Use

Purchasing

Education & Training

Grants & Funding

Wildlife & Nature Conservation

Water Use

Energy Use

Waste & Recycling

Chemical Use

Purchasing

Education & Training

Grants & Funding

Wildlife & Nature Conservation

Water Use

Energy Use

Waste & Recycling

Chemical Use

Purchasing

Education & Training

Grants & Funding

Contact Us

Contact Us