Sustainability is central to how the ambitious grounds team at Dundonald Links go about preparing and maintaining a world class golf course.
They are custodians of the land and focus on schemes to ensure the natural environment in which Dundonald Links sits is robustly protected and enhanced where possible.
Awards like GEO Certification in 2013, STRI’s Environmental Golf Course of the Year 2014 and IAGTO’s Sustainable Golf Course of the Year 2015 are proof that a zero waste to landfill policy and exceptional water management initiatives are creating important and tangible environmental benefits.
“ If anyone deserves the recognition that comes with GEO Certified status and being a Golf Environment Awards winner, it is the management and staff team at Dundonald. ”Steve Isaac - Director of Sustainability The R&A
Investment in education has been a key driver of Dundonald’s pioneering environmental work. A range of measures including seminars delivered by experts like Open Championship Ecologist Bob Taylor have encouraged buy-in at every level of the club’s business.
From a golfer’s perspective, the steps taken to ensure minimal impact on the local environment and ecology have significant benefits. Good agronomic practices create better quality playing surfaces and by favouring and managing suitable disease and drought tolerant grasses, Dundonald Links fits sympathetically within the wider landscape while offering a test of a player’s skills.
While the primary motivation is always to create an unparalleled golf experience, the team has also taken on some very important ecological challenges. The Small Blue Butterfly was thought to be lost to the area, but through careful consideration of their habitat, not only has this rare but important indigenous species been successfully re-introduced, it is thriving.
Through these environmental steps, we have sought to make Dundonald Links the best golf course in Scotland for sustainability and entertainment.
Dundonald Links continues to champion pioneering environmental practices and sits at the forefront of Scotland’s leading position in sustainable golf course management. For more information, please send an email to rob.wooddisse@dundonaldlinks.com
