Fife Golf Trust - Driving The Green Across Public Golf Courses

Following in the footsteps of the world’s most famous public course - St.Andrews Links, the Fife Golf Trust has stepped up its commitment to environmental and social performance. The trust enrolled all seven of its public golf facilities in the GEO OnCourse™ programme, to work toward the international ecolabel for sustainable golf, GEO Certified™.

Confirming the commitment at a seminar on green golf held in St. Andrews, Paul Murphy, the new head of golf course management for the Fife Golf Trust said:
“The seven courses we oversee across the Kingdom of Fife are fantastic recreational resources, very well used by local people of all ages and backgrounds. Our vision is to make them even better by deepening the positive impact in their communities, for golfers and non-golfers; to make them as ecologically rich as we can; and to be even more efficient in our use of resources such as water, energy, fertilisers and pesticides.

We considered a number of ways to achieve our vision, and quickly agreed that the GEO On Course™ programme is far and away the best means to help us plan and coordinate the effort, encouraging and making it easier for Greenkeepers and other staff to make improvements that bring practical results. And for us, overseeing several courses, the “management group” tools are a good way for other managers and me to track and support the work going on at each site. 

Fife Council's policies on sustainability - covering biodiversity, waste, climate change, pollution prevention and social inclusion are very strong and our golf facilities are well placed to meet them.

We'll be working hard to be the first municipality in the world to have all our clubs and courses GEO Certified™ in the year ahead”.

Kelli Jerome, GEO Director of Programme Management said:

"Municipal golf courses are vital for good quality, affordable and accessible golf in local communities. We’re pleased that the OnCourse™ programme has been selected to help Paul and his team reduce operational costs and improve the golfing and ecological quality of the courses. 

Everything the GEO Certified™ ecolabel stands for matches well with government policies in climate change, biodiversity, waste, social inclusion, health, youth recreation and environmental quality. It will be great to see more municipal golf courses following the example Fife Golf Trust is setting.” 

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About GEO

GEO is a stakeholder-funded, not-for-profit organization, dedicated to helping the global golf community establish leadership in environmental enhancement and corporate responsibility. GEO Certified™ is the world's most constructive and credible ecolabel for golf course and club management.

GEO works with golf, government and environmental organizations worldwide, including The European Tour, United Nations Environment Programme, The R&A and the Club Managers Association of America. For more information, please see: www.golfenvironment.org

Media Enquiries: Kelli Jerome, GEO Director of Programme Management
T: +44 1620 895100E: kelli@golfenvironment.org

Orange and Gold makes for some serious Green

Turf maintenance equipment giant Jacobsen has agreed to a global partnership with the Golf Environment Organization.

David Withers and Jonathan Smith seal the deal 

The new arrangement will see the two organizations, which have been allied in Europe for some time, broaden their collaboration to promote awareness, understanding and solutions in the Americas and Asia as well as Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Scribblemaps Review

The free website Scribblemaps.com allows users to scribble, draw, measure distances and areas and place markers, pictures and videos on Google Maps. Yes you can do this with Google MyMaps, but you'll see a number of incredibly useful features not found on MyMaps.

Recently Turfhugger arranged for some Golf Management related icons/map markers to be made (Thanks to RHo Solutions and Rueben Butterfield, President of the Irrigation Industry Association of BC) that reflect the major environmental infrastructure of your typical golf course. Turfhugger has recently donated these markers for use on Scribblemaps  (Thanks to Jonathan of Scribblemaps!) ...Results? A truly useful way to manage your projects with accuracy, communicate current projects in an easy to understand and accessible format.

I'm a true believer of the importance of communication through maps, and therefore Turfhugger is commited to creating new map markers to help golf course superintendents communicate their pest, tree, habitat, water and legal obligations.

Mirimichi Goodness

My buddy Russ Bodie of Audubon Environmental describes some of the natural and green features at Mirimichi - Justin Timberlake's course near Memphis, TN. Recorded on August 18, 2010.

UPS & GEO Awards Spotlight Leadership in Sustainable Golf

The sustainability efforts and achievements of three pioneering organizations and individuals were recognized at the presentation of Environmental Innovation Awards from the Golf Environment Organization (GEO) and its partner, global logistics company UPS, on May 28, 2011.

The Dutch Golf Federation (NGF), the Scandinavian Turf and Research Foundation (STERF) and Stig Persson, the General Manager of Ljunghusens Golf Club in Sweden have all demonstrated outstanding commitment and leadership, in very different ways, in the promotion and delivery of environmental and social responsibility across the golf industry.

Follow this link to read the whole article: UPS & GEO Awards Spotlight Leadership in Sustainable Golf

The Quest for a "Zero Waste" Golf Course

Seems impossible doesn't it? Well not for Josh Heptig of Dairy Creek Golf Club. His efforts were recently the focus of this short article, where they discussed how he shares his "waste" in the form of fertilizer with 2 other courses Morro Bay Golf Course and Atascadero’s Chalk Mountain GC.

I was so impressed by this ambitious goal and great example of sustainability, that I contacted Josh to learn more of his efforts...

Also, don't forget to check out Josh's blog, he regularly gives updates on his efforts.

Composting Technologies in Boca Raton

Broken Sound Club in Boca Raton, a residential golf community, recently inaugurated its new Composting Project which turns food wastes from the kitchen, and the grass cuttings from their two 18 hole golf courses, into organic fertilizer in just five days! (plus 3-4 week cooling process)

To learn more about the ECW Institutional Composting System (only $250,000.00!) go here.

These efforts continue Broken Sound's series of green initiatives, and speakers at the ribbon cutting included Congressman Allen West and Mayor of Boca Raton Susan Whelchel.

Broken Sound also recently became only the second club in the United States to become GEO Certified by the international non profit group, Golf Environment Organization.