Thornbury Golf Centre OnCourse™ for GEO’s ecolabel

11 January 2012

Thornbury Golf Centre has reinforced its pledge to greener golf by signing up to the Golf Environment Organization’s (GEO) internationally acclaimed OnCourse Programme

The OnCourse Programme will provide Thornbury with a practical sustainability programme to help it save money, set its courses apart in the locality and help protect the planet, while creating a first class, enjoyable customer experience.

Once it has completed the programme Thornbury will receive the coveted GEO Certification – a feat achieved so far by just four other UK golf venues, including the historic home of golf, St Andrews.

Melanie Drake, Thornbury General Manager, said: “In recent years we have made a conscious effort to bring environmental stewardship and corporate responsibility into the heart of our business model. There is no doubt that sustainability is part and parcel of sound business management.”

The public pay-and-play centre – part of Burhill Golf & Leisure, the UK’s leading golf course owner and operator – has already made significant changes to its operations through its own Environmental Plan implemented in 2009.

Highlights of environmental work completed and planned at the centre include

· The implementation of Integrated Turf Management (ITM) systems – using all possible proactive management strategies – cultural, biological and chemical – to minimise the effects of pests, weeds and disease in the most efficient and responsible way

· A tree planting scheme in association with Thornbury in Bloom and Thornbury Rotary Club to create a woodland area

· A project with Marlwood School which will see the children building bird and bat boxes to be placed around Thornbury’s two golf courses, creating safe habitats for local birdlife

· Planned enhancements to the centre’s own irrigation lake, increasing its capacity and making the facility water self-sufficient

· Reducing the electrical load around the buildings by switching to energy saving LED lights and timer switches.

Jonathan Smith, Chief Executive of GEO, added: “Thornbury’s leadership – based on a public commitment towards credible and comprehensive sustainability – is a fantastic boost, to both the group, to GEO and to golf in general.

“In a time of rising energy and resource costs, the ever increasing consumer expectation and competition in the marketplace, Thornbury will not only benefit from efficiency but also add value to its products and profile by embracing ethical and environmental issues.”

Thornbury Golf Centre will work through the OnCourse programme to meet the GEO Certified ecolabel criteria. An accredited GEOSA verifier will visit the public pay-and-play centre upon its application, evaluating performance, making recommendations to GEO and will leave the centre with a continual improvement plan for the following three years.