In a changing world, there’s an ever more urgent requirement for increased environmental sustainability across every aspect of human activity. Golf must be seen to be making all possible efforts in this direction.
Golf courses occupy large swathes of land. It’s a fact those who would use the sport as a punch bag portray as a negative. But golf should be able to provide a robust rebuttal to the critics. Our sport is custodian of large tracts of green belt. If these areas are managed in a sustainable way, no other sport has the ability to lock up so much carbon and, with the correct approach, courses can be environmental sanctuaries.
Smaller clubs may see an environmental programme as low priority; something only wealthier courses and clubs can afford the luxury of rolling out. Banchory Golf Club in Aberdeenshire has proven this is not the case.
With a limited budget, it is one of the few non-championship venues to have become Golf Environmental Organisation (GEO) Certified. The club has also received a GEO Sustainability Champion award – one of a small number of facilities to gain such an accolade.
At the 2020 Golf Environment Awards, Banchory was the winner in the Operation Pollinator category and course manager Richard Mullen was a finalist in the Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year category. Richard was also winner of the BIGGA Excellence award for communication within the local community, introducing school and nursery children to golf and its biodiversity.
Golf Monthly spoke to Richard about the initiatives at Banchory that have led to national recognition and to find out how, at relatively low cost, average clubs in the UK can focus on ecological and environmental projects.
Changing times
Esta historia es de la edición August 2020 de Golf Monthly.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August 2020 de Golf Monthly.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Sublime Scheffler unbeatable at Augusta National
It’s hard to put into words how special this is. It was a long week, a grind of a week.
Skechers Go Golf Blade GF Slip-ins £160
Skechers has been busy developing some of the best technologies for out-and-out comfort in golf shoes for a number of years now.
The North
From the fine Open Championship links of the west to the grand golf hotels in the east and much more, northern England has it all
Scotland
Home to around 575 clubs, the country is packed with premium links and an inland topography of spectacular extremes
The South East
From the Garden of England in Kent down to the Isle of Wight and up through
BEST GOLF SHOES
There have never been more options when it comes to picking the right golf shoe for your game.
Nick Taylor
The drills and tips the Canadian uses to keep his game sharp could improve your consistency through the bag too
MASTER THE 50-YARD PITCH
Rethinking and simplifying your action could reap big dividends
Keswick Golf Club
Jeremy Ellwood returns to this Cumbrian course with glorious backdrops just outside the north Lakes town for the first time since its on-site accommodation opened
Are the comparisons between Scottie Scheffler and Tiger Woods justified?
With four wins and a runner-up spot in five consecutive starts plus a huge lead in the world rankings, some are starting to talk about the 2024 Masters Champion in almost the same breath as Woods