Learn about the process, benefits and rewards of GEO Certification.
Use our A-Z to find facilities around the world that are Registered and Certified.
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The Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder
United Kingdom, PH3 1NF
This On Course™ Report indicates the commitment of Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee to become a GEO Certified facility by January 28th 2013
It has been automatically generated from data submitted to the Golf Environment Organization by Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee. Publication of this data is the first step towards becoming a GEO Certified facility.
To achieve full certification Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee will be required to submit further detailed data and be assessed by a GEO Accredited Verifier against the GEO Certification Criteria. You can download the criteria from this page.
Each section in this report covers a key area of environmentally sound facility management. As defined by the Golf Environment Organization, these are: Nature, Landscape & Heritage, Water, Turf, Waste, Energy, Education & Awareness and Management Planning.
The Gleneagles Estate covers 394ha of moorland, heathland, wetlands & designed landscape. Surrounding landuse is mainly farming & golf. The King’s, Queen’s & Wee Courses take up 148ha of which 63% is natural or semi-natural habitat: heather, grassland, gorse scrub, woodlands, parkland & veteran trees, numerous lochs, ponds, mires, burns & marsh. Much of the 140ha Hotel Grounds is formal gardens, lawns, pitch & putt & other manicured areas, but trees, woodlands, heather moorland & water-bodies enrich its natural value.
In 1983, the NCC identified 20 notable, mainly wetland habitat areas, designating White Water basin mire on The King’s as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1984 (reported in favourable condition, SNH 2005). Gleneagles self-designated the other 19 as Sites of Scientific Interest (SSIs) & plan to audit/update this list. The Scottish Inventory of Gardens & Designed Landscapes also cites the estate's outstanding nature conservation value.
In 1990, the London-based Golf Course Wildlife Trust described Gleneagles as among the very top golf courses with regard to wildlife interest, due to extent of the site, generous spacing of golf holes & the variety of habitats within & surrounding the estate. However, it noted habitats of greatest interest (wetlands & heathlands) were succumbing to natural succession. Great effort has since gone into scrub, tree & bracken removal from these areas & will continue as required. New focus now on heather regeneration to improve condition & expand cover. Acid grasslands have declined too but still provide a diverse flora including occasional heath spotted orchid & mountain pansy in its purple form. Future effort will focus on protecting & enhancing grasslands.
Species of note include tufted loosestrife & locally uncommon petty whin. The site also has a rich array of fungi. The wide range of fauna includes UK Priority Species red squirrel & otter, & records of up to 1400 toads in Heuch o’Dule, 1996.
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee features areas that are designated or protected at the following levels:
The following ecological surveys have been undertaken:
| Title |
|---|
| Botanical |
| Birds |
| Invertebrates |
| Amphibians |
| Ringing Common gulls which nest on the island at Loch-an-Eerie on The Queen’s Course |
| 5 year Quadrat monitoring of botanical changes in heathland and grassland (6 out of 9 quadrats across estate) |
| Continual assessment of SSSI by SNH – Condition Monitoring Report |
Estimated area of habitats at Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee:
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee has undertaken the following activities to enhance nature protection:
| Activity |
|---|
| Supplementary feeding for wildlife. |
| Heathland management. |
| Pond and wetland management. |
| Pond creation |
| Woodland creation. |
| Niche and micro habitat management. |
| Supporting Local Biodiversity Action Plan. |
| Grassland management. |
The Gleneagles Estate was listed in the Scottish Inventory of Gardens & Designed Landscapes in 1987 for outstanding nature conservation value, high architectural interest & its James Braid golf courses. SNH Tayside Landscape Character Assessment 1999 describes its wider setting as Broad Valley Lowland Hills & Igneous Landscape Types. Surrounding land-uses are Tullibardine Moor (north), settlement (north east), Auchterarder Golf Course (east), A9 road & farmland beyond (south east) & the G-West golf development (west & south west). The King’s, Queen’s & Wee Courses & Hotel Grounds occupy the central & western part of the estate.
Landscape is key to the King’s & Queen’s experience. Both courses fit hand-in-glove with their topography. Diverse landform & vegetation allow for secluded, intimate scenery, extensive, elevated views, shelter & exposure, The Queen’s being gentler & more enclosed than The King’s. The Heuch o’Dule glacial meltwater channel is an impressive feature between them. Braid’s courses have changed little. The Wee Course has a more varied history but is back mostly on its original site. All holes have evocative & pithy Scots names, such as Het Girdle (Hot Pan), Warslin' Lea (Wrestling Ground), Needle E’e (eye of the needle) & Witches’ Bowster (witches' pillow). The Cairn is a prominent feature on the kame between The King’s 1st & 18th. A line of veteran beech & oak trees (Beeches Brig) is protected by Historic Scotland. Archaeological records on The Queen’s are thought to be a Roman outpost encampment & native fort. An earth dam recalls a former tannery in Heuch o’Dule & Deuk Dubs.
The Hotel Grounds form the heart of the designed landscape (J Carter) & contain the B-listed hotel (Matthew Adam) & other architectural features of note. Formal gardens, lawns & leisure areas surround the hotel, but many parts of the original layout have changed. The airstrip & branch rail line are long gone. "The Gleneagles Book 1999" sets out a full history.
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee features the following landscape designations:
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee features the following cultural heritage designations and protected features:
The following landscape assessments and appraisals been carried out at the site:
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 1987-01-01 | Scottish Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes |
The following archaeological and heritage surveys have been carried out at the site:
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 1987-01-01 | Scottish Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes |
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee undertakes the following activities to enhance landscape and cultural heritage:
| Activity |
|---|
| Preservation of the historic landscape integrity of the hotel grounds. |
| Connecting landscape and heritage with contemporary culture. |
| Enhancement of approach to Gleneagles. |
| Preservation of the historic landscape integrity of the King's and Queen's Courses. |
| Preservation of the historic landscape integrity of the estate as a whole. |
| Landscaping of new development areas. |
| Enjoyment of the landscape for guests. |
The Gleneagles Golf Courses & Hotel Grounds use mains & groundwater. Although much is metered, the scale & complexity of the resort hydrology, supply infrastructure & overlap of different departmental operations & metering, means ideal tracking of different components is sometimes constrained. Plans are in hand to improve on this.
Groundwater from lochs topped up from boreholes is used for golf course irrigation & summer machinery washing. Waterbodies are topped up for visual benefit if required. Total abstraction is not metered at present but irrigation is quantified for the different golf courses. Impoundment & Abstraction Licenses are obtained annually from SEPA.
Golf course irrigation accounts for the greatest use. In 2008 (a wet summer), for The King’s & The Queen’s Courses, this totalled 4824 m3 (including summer machinery washing). Greens, tees & foregreens are irrigated on The King’s (2.5ha) & The Queen’s (2.4ha). The Wee Course irrigation is included with & inseparable from the PGA Centenary Course, but is estimated to have been no more than 300 m3. Only greens (0.25ha) are irrigated on The Wee Course.
Irrigation of flower beds, lawns, putting green, pitch & putt greens & equestrian arena uses mains water.
The Central Compound which serves the King’s, Queens & Wee Courses is on the same mains supply as & inseparable from the Dormy Clubhouse usage. Combined consumption in 2008 was 5046 m3. Based on annual mains consumption at the PGA Compound of 1207 m3, it is estimated that Central Compound consumption may have been about 1800 m3. Mains water at the Central Compound is used for winter machinery washing, spraying, toilets, showers & kitchen use by greenstaff. In the Dormy, usage includes catering, locker rooms & cleaning.
Mains water supply in the estate office serves kitchen, toilet & cleaning usage. It is not separately metered so consumption is low but unquantified.
| Primary Source | Secondary Source (if used) | |
|---|---|---|
| Clubhouse | Public / Potable | N/A |
| Golf Courses | Groundwater | N/A |
| Accommodation | Public / Potable | N/A |
| Maintenance facility | Public / Potable | Groundwater |
| Other | Public / Potable | N/A |
The following areas are irrigated:
| Area name | Approx. Hectarage |
|---|---|
| Greens | 2.85 ha |
| Tees | 1.9 ha |
| Foregreens - King's and Queen's | 1 ha |
| Putting green and Pitch and Putt Greens | 0.12 ha |
| Lawns | 0.8 ha |
| Equestrian arena | 0.28 ha |
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee undertakes environmental monitoring of water quality.
| Chemical | Biological | Last Test Date | Tester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflow | No | No | ||
| On-site | Yes | No | 2008-10-02 | Diageo |
| Outflow | No | No |
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee has undertaken the following activities to conserve / reduce / minimise water consumption:
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee undertakes the following activities to protect and enhance water quality:
Turfgrass management on The King’s Course, The Queen’s Course and The Wee Course is based on traditional greenkeeping and integrated pest management methods promoting fine, indigenous bent and fescue grass species through good drainage and aeration practices and minimalist fertiliser and water inputs. This focuses on promoting a stronger and healthier grass plant and a tighter sward density which in turn leads to reduced disease pressure and lower inputs of fungicide, herbicide and insecticide.
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee maintains the following turfgrass species:
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee regularly undertakes the following practices to improve turf health:
The aim is minimalist fertiliser inputs. Soil analysis is done annually, the intention being to increase this to twice per year. Fairways and roughs were previously fertilised at low rates but no longer receive any feeding. Fairway clippings are left in situ. In 1998, the shift to spoonfed fertiliser on The King’s Course and The Queen’s Course for improved uptake efficiency also brought reduced leaching and pollution risk, which was helped further by improved buffer management. The Wee Course is managed less intensively than The King’s and Queen's Courses, with less frequent mowing at higher cutting heights and conventional granular applications of fertiliser.
In 2008, the King's, Queen's and Wee received a total of 803 kg N, 312 kg P and 1141 kg K over 2.85 ha greens, 1.9 ha tees and 1 ha foregreens.
The greenkeeping staff feed the following areas of the golf course:
Pesticides are used on a curative not preventative basis. Greenstaff apply tolerance thresholds in the treatment of pests & diseases to help minimise use of pesticides. These have recently been set down in a Pest & Disease Tolerance Threshold Matrix which will be reviewed & updated annually.
Fairways, semi rough & bunker faces receive spot treatment of herbicide 1-2 times per year for clover, speedwell, buttercup or yarrow. Any weeds on greens, tees & foregreens are plugged out. Bracken is controlled up to 10m from managed turf by spraying &/or cutting.
In 2008, the King's & Queen's greens received 3 applications of fungicide for fusarium & the Wee greens received 1. No fungicide was applied to any other areas. All other diseases are managed culturally or tolerated until they run their course.
Rabbits are controlled by fencing, gorse removal or culling by outside pest control contractors. Moles are trapped by greenstaff.
Greens & foregreens & one bout of the surround may be treated for leatherjackets & occasionally localised areas elsewhere. If the core holes do not close up, this usually indicates leatherjacket activity which is treated by spraying the whole green. No insecticide was applied in 2008.
Worms cast on all playing surfaces but are only a problem on greens. They are usually tolerated as available chemicals are not that effective.
Weed control in the Hotel Grounds is by hoeing, handweeding, bark mulching or herbicide. Fungicide is virtually never used. Mildew & rust are avoided by purchasing cultivars with improved resistance.
Aphids & red spider mite are controlled on indoor plants & oudoor roses by adding insecticide translocator to soil through the watering process to treat plants systemically on a curative basis.
Mealy bugs are controlled on indoor plants by dusting plants & curative spray with soapy water from a dispenser – a slow cure but effective.
Rodents are controlled by a pest control contractor.
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee keeps detailed records of pesticide application.
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee undertakes the following activities to minimise / reduce pesticide use:
| Activity |
|---|
| Adapt fertiliser regime to improve plant health. |
| Avoid over- or under-watering. |
| Routine use of alternatives to chemical pest control on golf courses. |
| Limiting environmental impact of essential pesticide use. |
| Humane deterrence of vermin. |
| Improve drainage, aeration and thatch levels to encourage finer indigenous grasses, improve turf health and reduce disease pressure. |
| Routine use of alternatives to pesticide use in hotel grounds. |
Waste management operates at resort level with a target of zero to landfill by 2010. A Waste Watchers’ Group drives, monitors & reports on progress. A Waste Audit in 2007 showed that of the 570 tonnes sent to landfill, 40% was recyclable, 35% food waste & 25% other waste types. (Total was later revised up by 100 tonnes.)
A recycling compound was built to maximise waste separation for external & charitable recycling. Office recycling boxes & 300 segregating bins were widely distributed for staff, guest & visitor use. Food waste is now recycled off-site. The aim is on-site in-vessel composting, ideally incorporating electricity generation.
All grass clippings, horticultural & most other green waste is composted at a local commercial facility & the resultant product bought back for horticultural uses & groundworks round the estate. The ash waste from the hotel’s biomass boiler is mixed with the green compost for use in flowers beds & new garden developments.
Purchasing policy has also been tightened to increase sustainable sourcing.
Wastewater management varies with its origin. The natural wetland system discharges to a burn. Course drainage is recycled back into the wetland system. As much storm water as possible is detained in lochs & ponds, with surplus discharged into exit ponds just beyond the A9.
Central Compound washbay water is recycled in a Hydroscape biological unit. Gardens Compound washbay water goes through a grass sump & oil & petrol interceptor & into a SEPA licenced soakaway.
Domestic sewage from bothies, offices, course toilets & Dormy Clubhouse is disposed of through septic tanks connected to the estate’s internal sewage system for treatment at Gleneagles’ private sewage plant. The plant is managed by an outside agency & strictly regulated & licensed by SEPA. The plant aims to become self-sufficient for power by installing wind turbines & for cleaning-water by harvesting rainwater which will be stored in an unused sewage tank.
| Avoid | Re-use | Recycle | Landfill | Incineration | Registered Uplift | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Plastic | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Aluminium | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Metal | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Paper | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Cardboard | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Electrical | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Grass Clippings | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Cores | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Turf | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Sand | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Wood / Timber | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Leaves | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Detergents | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Cooking Oils | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Lubricants | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Pesticide Containers | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Fertiliser Bags | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Oil Filters | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Batteries | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee has secure storage for hazardous material.
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee has undertaken a waste audit:
2007-08-14 - Clare Wooton, Business Environment Partnership
| Discharges to: | Legally Compliant? | Formal Discharge Agreement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clubhouse | On-Site Treatment Plant | Yes | Waste Water Clubhouse Formal Discharge Arrangement |
| Accommodation | On-Site Treatment Plant | Yes | Waste Water Accommodation Formal Discharge Arrangement |
| Maintenance Facility | On-Site Treatment Plant | Yes | N/A |
| Wash Pad | Closed Loop Recycling | Yes | Waste Water Wash Pad Formal Discharge Arrangement |
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee undertakes the following activities to reduce resource consumption or minimise waste:
With energy becoming an ever more crucial issue & energy costs expected to rise substantially, energy management & carbon awareness have become resort-wide matters of increasing urgency. Gleneagles aims to improve its energy performance & become carbon neutral by 2010, which it will measure through Diageo’s worldwide carbon accounting system. It will pursue this mainly through improved energy efficiency & alternative/renewable sources.
Steps are being taken towards positive energy management & being alert to the full range of activities & operations which involve energy usage. Energy posters have been produced & located throughout the to encourage staff & visitors to close doors to prevent draughts & heat escaping, switch off lights & equipment when not required, run dishwashers on full load, choose energy efficient models when ordering new appliances & so on.
While greenkeeping operations inevitably involve significant fuel use, the adoption of a 3-5 year machinery replacement programme & highest standards of servicing & maintenance helps significantly with fuel efficiency on the golf courses & estate. Composite fuel use is evaluated when selecting combined or multiple machinery options.
A series of Energy Reports have been produced by the Carbon Trust for the hotel & associated operations. They broadly identify good housekeeping measures as the main way in which to reduce energy consumption. In 2007, a woodchip powered biomass boiler was installed in the hotel for heating & hot water. Future ideas on renewables include electricity generation from on-site in-vessel food composting & windpower for the resort’s sewage treatment plant.
To date no formal energy or carbon evaluation has been done for the Golf Courses & Estate, which it is hoped to remedy in the near future. The resort keeps monthly energy consumption records but Golf Courses & Estates is introducing new recording & monitoring Worksheets to help improve departmental awareness & progress.
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee has undertaken an Energy Audit:
- Carbon Trust 2003, 2005, 2008
Activities undertaken to record energy consumption:
Activities undertaken to reduce energy consumption:
Green purchasing activities undertaken:
Departments involved in energy saving activities:
Employees of Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee receive the following formal and informal environmental education:
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee keeps formal staff training records for these departments:
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee keeps the following record of accidents in the workplace:
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee undertakes the following internal environmental communications:
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee undertakes the following external environmental communications:
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee works with the following external groups:
Sustainability Policy 2009.pdf
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee has an Environmental Management Plan covering:
Gleneagles King's, Queen's & Wee has an environmental working group, comprising the following individuals/organisations:
