Green golf
Want to play some sustainable golf? Then grab your clubs and head here
For all its lush fairways and untamed roughs, golf isn't always the greenest of games. Without proper management, golf courses can be responsible for consuming precious resources, destroying wildlife and polluting habitats.
If you want to play golf without upsetting nature’s balance, here are some of the greenest courses the UK and Ireland have to offer.
In this article
Greys Green
The owners of Greys Green Golf Course in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, claim to run the only truly organic golf course in the country. Once a dairy farm, the construction of its rugged 18-hole public course involved no earth-moving of any kind – in the early days, golfers shared the course with grazing sheep.
Today, the farmers still own the land and manage the course sustainably, respecting local ecosystems. Skylark, red kite, peregrine falcon, spotted woodpecker and sparrowhawk are just some of the regular non-playing guests at Greys Green.
Peebles Golf Club
Peebles Golf Club in the Scottish Border hills takes its green credentials very seriously. One of only 19 clubs in Scotland to have been honoured with an award for environmental excellence by Golf Environment Europe, its 100-year old Kirklands course (6,138 yards, par 70) is a stunning example of a challenging uplands course.
Besides minimising waste and energy consumption, the club is hailed for its approach to sustainable turfgrass, water management and the conservation of biodiversity.
Dawlish Warren
Described by botanist and environmental campaigner Dr David Bellamy as “the most organic golf course in the country”, Dawlish Warren Golf Club in Devon lies in the middle of a national nature reserve.
Leased by the Devon Wildlife Trust, the course managers respect local ecosystems and biodiversity. At the request of English Nature, they have created new areas of natural habitat, but they make sure that no major work is done during the period March to September, the nesting season.
Carton House
Home to the 2006 Irish Open, the stunning Montgomerie course (named after its famous designer, Colin Montgomerie) is one of two championship courses at Carton House Golf Club. It’s also a green pioneer. The first Irish club to win Golf Environment Europe’s environmental excellence award, Carton House has run salmon restocking and tree planting programmes, built a green waste depot on site and introduced a water resource management system. Its pristine courses frequently rank among the most popular golfing venues in Europe.
Matfen Hall
Scattered with nesting boxes and wildlife zones, the golf course at Matfen Hall in Northumberland is designed to minimise its environmental impact. The 27 holes, 6700 yard course boasts challenging water features and obstacles such as a dry stone wall. The surroundings are no less impressive.
Nestled in a 220-acre organic estate, the Matfen Hall course lies next to a magnificent, privately owned country house hotel – committed, of course, to conserving energy and buying locally.
Share this
(What is this?)