FULL RELEASE

Pyecombe Golf Club exceeds all expectation winning national “Environmental Golf Club of the year” award.

Nestling in the South Downs National Park, the Sussex club now sits alongside the golfing elite.
St Andrews, the home of golf and Royal Birkdale are previous winners at these prestigious awards hosted by the STRI.

Simon Wells, Head Greenkeeper at Pyecombe Golf Club was understandably delighted with the award. He commented “The club has many initiatives in place to aid the surrounding environment including :-

• cutting and bailing the rough once a year

• scarification of the rough which encourages wild flowers and orchids to flourish

• providing an ideal environment for insects and birds to breed

• producing Pyecombe honey from the bee hives on the golf course

Simon goes on to say “We also have a Woodland Management programme with bird boxes in place for swifts, Tawny Owls and Barn Owls. Deer and Game birds are also common place around the course.

The club has a ground source heat pump which reduces heating bills by 40% and to date has produced a massive 82,000kg of CO2 savings. A further recent project saw solar heating panels fitted to the clubhouse.

The criteria for the award focused on four key areas

• Nature Conservation Management

• Turfgrass Management

• Waste Management

• Water Management

For more information and enquiries please contact Gary Hann at paul.bowles@pyecombegolfclub.com or 01273 835868, 07545 263825.

ENDS

Notes

• * The Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) is the world’s leading sports turf consultancy for design, research and management of natural and artificial sports surfaces offering effective solutions and independent advice to sports clubs and recreational facilities across the globe for sports such as Football, Cricket, Equestrian, Rugby, Tennis and Golf.

• Photos available – including the 18th Hole at Pyecombe Golf club with a wild orchid growing, general shots of the golf club and surrounding views and photo of the head greenkeeper, Simon Wells.