Sustainable Golf Week 2024
AN UPDATE FROM...
Stephen Norton General Manager
This week is the GEO “Sustainable Golf Week” and so we wanted to share with all our members some of the actions we have taken this year to improve our sustainability. Our company is committed to taking climate action, conserving resources, fostering nature and strengthening communities. We focus on our planning, policies and procurement and endeavour to engage our members, visitors and staff in our efforts. We constantly track and monitor our performance with a view to improving what we do.
The GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf is an international not-for-profit, founded sixteen years ago to help inspire, support, and reward credible sustainability action and to strengthen and promote golf’s social and environmental value. The organisation remains the only one in the world entirely specialized and dedicated to this mission and works collaboratively across golf and the wider sustainability movement to build community and to provide strategy, solutions, and credible recognition. BGL achieved GEO Certified® status at all of its venues by 2014, making it the first multi-site operator in the world to do so.
We hope you enjoying reading about a few of the actions we have taken this year:
Swimsuit Spin Dryers
During 2023 we recognised that we were using around 57,000 plastic bags in the leisure changing rooms - as such, we began the search for a solution to reduce this. The bags were used by members to transport their wet kit home after they finished using the club.
The solution was to install swimsuit spin dryers, which remove most of the water in the swimsuit - meaning that we can eventually eliminate the use of plastic bags.
A Greener Carbon Footprint
The group decided to move away from petrol Marshal buggies to electric buggies to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced.
We are estimated to be saving around 920 litres of petrol across 12 months.
This means we will produce 2,116 KG less Carbon Dioxide over the year by switching to electricity.
Tracking Sustainability
To increase staff engagement and impact we have started to produce a simple, visual scorecard to represent how well the club is performing in terms of the following:
• Reducing energy consumption across electricity, gas and water
• Improving waste segregation to recycle more and allow less to go to energy from waste.
This is produced monthly and displayed on all staff noticeboards.
Reducing Plastic Waste
We recognised that we were using a significant amount of plastic milk bottles and explored options to reduce this.
We estimate that we were going through around 15,000 plastic milk bottles each year.
We have now moved to milk pergals which contain a plastic bag inside a cardboard box (both of which can still be recycled). This is significantly less packaging.
Monitoring Wildlife
For several years we have worked with a local bird group to monitor the levels and variety of birds around the golf course and surrounding areas.
They completed two visits in May and despite the poor weather, the records were in keeping with expectations.
Waste Segregation
This year we have focussed on waste segregation by ensuring all back-of-house areas, as well as all car park and clubhouse bins have designated recycling options. We are proud that zero waste goes to landfill. The recent changes to our bins have helped us reduce the amount being sent to “Energy from Waste” from 50% of our total waste to 15%, and we have increased the amount we recycle from 29% of our waste to 63%.
We have installed a timer - in conjunction with the light sensor - to ensure that the lights will come on as soon as it gets dark. They will then turn off between 2 am and 5 am as there is no one at the club during these times.
In doing so, we estimate that we will save around 1,546kwh of energy every year
Reducing Energy Usage
Whilst our car park lights have always been controlled by light sensors, we recognise there are still periods when the lights are not needed as there is no activity around the club.
Optimising Technology To Reduce CO2
We have implemented boiler optimisation technology on our boilers to reduce consumption and thus reduce CO2 emissions. We estimate a saving of:
• Around 67,000 kwh of gas per year
• Reduction in carbon emissions of 12.46 tonnes
Community Outreach
We were approached by Hayes School who each year complete an assignment on our club as part of their business studies course.
On 17th October, we hosted 20 sixth-form students and three teachers. We gave them a tour of the facilities and a talk about customer service and how the business operates. We provided lunch for them and then allowed them to have an hour on the driving range using the facilities.
More Woods – With Woodland Trust
In 2023 we planted 900 native trees and 300 shrubs on our land as part of the Woodland Trust’s efforts to increase woodland areas. These areas of planting will not only offer habitat for wildlife but will in time help to sequester carbon, helping to provide the local area with cleaner air.
Water Use and Reuse
Birchwood Park is also innovating in water conservation. Building on its current practice of filtering and repurposing car park runoff for turf irrigation, the club is now exploring the possibility of reusing swimming pool water for the same purpose. This approach highlights Birchwood Park’s commitment to sustainable water use and reducing dependence on potable water for landscape maintenance.
Solar Energy
Birchwood Park will install solar panels across the buildings in an effort to become more selfsufficient and sustainable.
