GEO Certification
Viborg Golfklub
Viborg, Denmark
Verification Report
Mårten Wallberg, GEO Accredited Verifier September 15, 2009Executive Summary
Viborg GK is located in a hilly moraine landscape with grassland and deciduous forests. Constant improvements of the landscape and nature are carried out. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years and has a cultural heritage of national significance. Water for irrigation comes from the clubs own drilling and waste water from maintenance is being re-used. Water for irrigation has been reduced by 60% since 1996. 27 holes have old pushup-greens and 9 holes have USGA-standard greens. Fertilizer and pesticide are only used when needed and since 1996 the facility has reduced the consumption by 40% respectively 70%. Waste is taking care of in a proper way and recycling and reusing is conducted. 3 of 4 of suggestions in an energy audit have been launched. Carbon footprints are being undertaken. A green account is completed every year and vast environmental communications is being undertaken. The environmental group consists of people on high positions in the club.
Local Translation
Viborg Golfklub ligger i et bakket morænelandskab omfattende områder med græsbevoksning og løvfældende træer. Klubben gennemfører konstant forbedringer i forhold til landskab og natur. Området har være beboet i flere tusinde år og er udpeget som et kulturarvsareal af national betydning. Vand til vanding stammer fra klubbens boring. Vaskevand fra greenkeepergården bliver genbrugt. Forbruget af vand til vanding er reduceret med 60% siden 1996. Banen består af 27 huller med push-up-greens og 9 huller med USGA-greens. Gødning og pesticider anvendes alene efter behov og klubben har reduceret forbruget med henholdsvist 40% og 70% siden 1996. Affald bliver håndteret korrekt og relevante fraktioner bliver genbrugt. 3 af 4 projekter fra en energigennemgang er gennemført. CO2 belastningen bliver beregnet. Et grønt regnskab bliver udarbejdet hvert år og der sker en omfattende kommunikation af miljøforholdene i klubben. Miljøgruppen består af personer med den nødvendige kompetence i klubben.
Scope of Application
Viborg Golfklub consists of:
Courses
- Viborg Golfklub (36 holes)
Clubhouses
- Viborg Golfklub
Maintenance Facilities
- Viborg Golfklub
Other
- Pro Shop
- Practice Facilities
- On Course Toilet Facilities
Observations
Nature
The course is located at the edge of the last ice age’s glacial line and the landscape is hilly moraine and former agricultural land. Before the landscape was covered with moor, now it’s mostly grassland and forest. Old river valleys are surrounding the course. Surveys of the flora, fauna and nature in general have been made by both the local environmental NGO and experts who are members of the club. The surveys are suggesting a number of activities in the purposes of protecting the local species, removing especially the invasive species and enhancing the biodiversity. Many of the suggestions are now part of the environmental management plan. The lakes are very rich in birds, fishes and amphibians. Examples of activities are that the facility is doing is removing invasive species, watering the nearby grazing cows, being a refuge for large animals during hunting season and improving the shore vegetation around the lakes. The facility has some rare and endangered species.
Landscape & Heritage
The landscape is beautiful and hilly consisting grassland and deciduous forests with lots of oak. Major archaeological investigations have found out that the area has been inhabited for thousands of years and has a cultural heritage of national concern. Especially findings from the Bronze Age are very interesting where the statue of a god, Broddenbjergmanden (the Broddenbjerg man), is the most fascinating. Because of the findings the facility agreed to dig not more than around 30 cm in the ground during the construction of the new 9 holes and the facility has over all a very good relationship with the local museum. A number of suggestions for initiative for conserving the landscape and cultural heritage are part of the management plan. The facility is planning to produce information boards and folders who tell about the history of the area. The facility is very proud of being part of this fascinating historical area.
Water
Water for irrigation comes from the facilities own drilling hole. Some of the waste water from the maintenance facility is being cleaned and re-used at some of the course. Irrigation only occurs during night and the course manager has a very good picture of the different needs of irrigation on the different areas and patches on the course and also has a very good local knowledge of “reading” the weather. He also uses a fully computerized irrigation system run by himself. The facility has been part of an experiment which resulted in a totally new sprinkler system in order to optimize the amount of water used. New sprinklers at some greens are planned in order to optimize irrigation even more.
The facility is constantly trying to reduce the water consumption and have managed to reduce water for irrigation in 2008 to 60% of the consumption in 1996 and constant improvement of the irrigation and the system being used is being made.
Turf
The old 18 holes and the 9 short holes have pushup-greens with mostly Poa annua. The new 9 holes have USGA-standard greens and consist mostly of Brown top bent and Fescue. The new holes need much less nutrition, pesticides and water than the old and the facility has a plan of converting the old holes to USGA-standard. The course manager is constantly sowing the old greens with Brown top bent and Fescue. 3 times a year an expert is visiting the facility in order to take soil- and grass samples and to come up with management suggestions. The course manager is only using fertilizers and pesticide when needed and has excellent knowledge of his turf and its needs. An engagement in an experiment with biological pesticides a couple years ago turned out bad. Since participating in tests mechanical methods are used for reducing weed on fairway. Since 1996 the facility has reduced the consumption of fertilizer with around 40% and pesticide with around 70% and is still trying to reduce it.
Waste
The facility has undertaken a waste audit and is taking care of its waste in a proper manner and is recycling and reusing when possible. A new goal is to have recycling on the course and by the club house. The grass clippings from the greens are being taking care of by being put in the local compost to become good fertilizing agents. All hazardous waste are being taking care of in a most careful way.
Energy
The facility has undertaken an energy audit and 3 of 4 of the suggestions has been launched, primarily the switch from ordinary light bulbs to low-energy bulbs. The machinery is primarily running on diesel. Modern and energy-saving pumps has been constructed which has led to a reduction in energy consumption despite the construction of the new 9 holes. New energy-meters have been installed and are showing exactly where the energy is consumed. This is an efficient way to know where it’s possible to cut down the energy use. When part of the club house was reconstructed better insulations where part of the construction. The facility use mostly oil and coal as sources of electricity but there are plans in purchasing cleaner and renewable electricity when possible. The facility has begun to make carbon footprints.
Education & awareness
Since 1997 the facility has completed a green account every year. This consists of the the facilities environmental policy and major environmental impacts of the facility with the objectives and targets for reduction of those. The green account is each year communicated to the members and to external actors such as the municipality, the public and interested organisations. The facility is undertaking other environmental communications such as website, press releases, community meetings and joint practical projects with community. It works with local environmental groups, neighbours, media, local government and other authorities. The area is part of a planned green and recreation area and has a number of public paths on the facility and the same is collaborating with the municipality to make it easier and also enhancing the positive experience for the public in walking on the area of the golf course and its surroundings. The facility has environmental education for the staff each year.
Management planning
The most important issues in the green account and the environmental work are the reduction of fertilizers, pesticides and water use. All the statistics needed to run an effective environmental work are well at hand on the facility. In the management plan a large number of projects are listed in categories of priority 1-3 where 1 is highest priority when it comes to importance and viability. The environmental group consists of general manager, course manager, a committee member and a technical specialist. The board continuously have the environment on the agenda and the issue is well integrated in the facilities other issues.
Documentation Reviewed
- Environmental policy
- Environmental management plan
- Action plans & project proposals
- Certification report
- Minutes of meetings
- Newsletters
- External surveys and reports
- Internal reports
- Emergency incident plan
- Environmental data
- Register of accidents
- Training log
- Awareness raising materials
Conclusions
The managers and the members of Viborg GK have a genuine interest and engagement in the environmental work, undoubtedly shown in the green account that has been completed each year since 1997. This document is a brilliant way of effectively communicating environmental work both internally and externally and also makes it very easy to follow the purposeful work of reducing the consumption of fertilizers, pesticides and water. And, as the managers in no doubt are on the right track it’s a hope that they once again tries to introduce biological pesticides, despite the bad results from the experiments it was engaged in a couple of years ago. The facility is eager in trying to enhance the biodiversity on the course and also proud of being part of the historical environment. It has many interesting activities planned for this which I hope they will fulfill very soon. Finally I must say that it’s nice the environmental work is driven with strong leadership from the board and the managers.
Recommendation
I Mårten Wallberg, Golf Environment Organization Accredited Verifier, recommend that Viborg Golfklub be awarded GEO Certified status for excellence in environmental management.
About this Report
This report represents the opinion of an independent environmental professional accredited by the Golf Environment Organization. The environmental performance of Viborg Golfklub was assessed against the GEO Certification criteria: http://www.golfenvironment.org/about-certification/
