Rough luck for Pycombe at National Golf Environment Awards

Pyecombe narrowly missed out on the ultimate award at the National Golf Environment Awards Presentation last week.
Pycombe Golf Course 1st greenPycombe Golf Course 1st green
Pycombe Golf Course 1st green

The club was one of ten finalists from across Britain, and received glowing comments from judges.

The event, held in Harrogate, Yorkshire on January 22, celebrated golf clubs working with the environment through wildlife havens, pollination programmes, bee keeping, bird boxes, wildlife habitats and conservation programmes.

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Pyecombe was respected for making best use of available resources, its work within the South Downs National Park and its stunning golf course.

Eventual winners were Hankley Common and Dundonald Links, both boasting enormous resources compared to Pyecombe.

The judges’ description of Pycombe stated: “There is a considerable range of wildlife on the course, but to enhance this the Club has carried out a number of strategies such as the installation of bird boxes, planting silver birch and hawthorn, creation of wood piles in woods, various species of beetle are encouraged by setting buckets in the ground and by stacking piles of rubber mats to form a beetle ‘hotel’.

“To reduce the environmental impact of the course a number of activities are being undertaken. Of particular note is the installation of a ground source heat pump to heat showers in the Clubhouse.

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“The Club is also investigating the potential for the irrigation to be supplied from a borehole. Roughs are left as natural as possible and the local farmer harvests hay from these once per annum to be used as animal feed.

“Publicity for activities on the course is extensive. Walks and talks are provided for members and outside organisations such as the local Horticultural Society.

“In addition the Club’s website contains an extensive amount of environmental information.”

Pyecombe recently won the Southern Counties ‘Golf Club of the Year Award’ (Golf Year Book Online) for 2013.

Follow the golf club on www.pyecombegolfclub.com.