Fairhaven in Lancashire has joined an elite group of sustainability-minded clubs.
The Lytham St Anne’s club has been awarded GEO certification possessed by golf clubs in 40 countries.
GEO certification acknowledges clubs that have done the most to promote sustainability at their course.
Fairhaven head greenkeeper Peter Simpson said: “We are very pleased to have got certification. It required us to gather a lot of information about things we do around the course and it’s great that we have been able to join such an elite group.”
Fairhaven achieved GEO Certified status via the OnCourse programme. Peter reserved special praise for Fairhaven member Steve Jackson, who put a huge amount of effort into preparing the data for the assessment.
James Hutchinson, BIGGA’s sustainability executive, completed an ecological management plan for the club. He said: “It was a pleasure to assist such an environmentally minded golf course through the OnCourse section and then on to the consequent GEO certificate. I’m over the moon with the outcome so congratulations to Peter and the team.”
Fairhaven hosted an Open qualifying event during June and professional golf has been played there since 1934. Among the rare and protected species of flora found on the site are marsh helleborine, large flowered hemp nettle and creeping willow.
OnCourse is an easy-to-use web app that supports and promotes the social and environmental value of golf facilities.
OnCourse is managed by the not-for-profit Golf Enviroment Organization and is supported by The R&A and partners European Tour, John Deere, Jacobsen and Toro, among others.
