Gleneagles goes for green award
The four golf courses at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, including 2014 Ryder Cup venue the PGA Centenary Course, are on course to achieve Golf Environment Organisation certifcation in 2010.
Alongside fellow European Tour stops Celtic Manor, Loch Lomond and St Andrews, Gleneagles is at the forefront of a drive by major professional venues to showcase the highest standards in sustainable golf course management.
Scott Fenwick, golf courses and estate manager at Gleneagles said: “With 850 acres of stunning Perthshire landscape under our stewardship, including nineteen Sites of Scientific Interest (SSI) and one Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Gleneagles boasts some of Scotland’s most precious natural and cultural heritage.
“The management team here understands that investment in the quality of our environment is directly linked to the quality of our product. With a long-term sustainability programme focussing on landscape enhancement, reduction of turfgrass inputs and minimisation of energy and water use, Gleneagles is committed to preserving the environment for future generations.”
Philip Riddle, CEO of government agency VisitScotland, said: “As a major contributor to Scotland’s tourism revenue and profile, golf must strive to assume a leadership role to ensure the Scottish golf experience is not only ranked among the worlds finest, but among the world’s most sustainable.”
Jonathan Smith, chief executive of GEO expects to see high profile golf courses around the UK playing a leadership role, but is also keen to stress that certification is not the sole preserve of those golf courses that exist continually within the public eye. He said: “All golf clubs, irrespective of size or operating budget stand to benefit by identifying landscape and environmental priorities and by working towards a resource efficient, ecologically rich golf product. Good environmentalism, particularly in a tight-knit industry such as golf, necessitates the sharing of best practice information between peers.”
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