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On Course™ Report

Contents

 

1. About this Report
2. Scope of Application
3. Nature
4. Landscape & Heritage
5. Water
6. Turf
7. Waste
8. Energy
9. Education & Awareness
10. Management Planning

About this Report

This On Course™ Report indicates the commitment of St Andrews Links to become a GEO Certified facility by January 20th 2013

It has been automatically generated from data submitted to the Golf Environment Organization by St Andrews Links. Publication of this data is the first step towards becoming a GEO Certified facility.

To achieve full certification St Andrews Links 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.

Scope of Application

St Andrews Links consists of:

Courses

• The Old Course (18 holes)

Clubhouses

• The Links Clubhouse

Maintenance Facilities

• Jubilee Greenkeeping Centre

Other

• Pro Shop
• Practice Facilities
• Halfway House
• On Course Toilet Facilities

Nature

The Old Course is positioned strategically within a framework of important habitats. The management practices of the Old Course can have significant impacts on the wildlife found in the area. The golf course harbours a wide range of locally and nationally scarce and declining species. Birds such as swift, skylark, whitethroat, song thrush, yellowhammer, linnet, bullfinch and grey partridge are all found on and around the golf course, many in relatively large numbers in comparison with surrounding land. In total, the golf course provides a stable, managed habitat for over 45 bird species. In terms of fauna the most common sightings are of Fox, Weasel, Stoat, Field Vole and occasionally Badger and Roe Deer. The declining Brown Hare is a common sight.

There is also a great diversity of native flora, including
colourful plants such as Lady’s Bedstraw, Harebell, Kidney Vetch, Common Centaury, Eyebright, Northern Marsh Orchid, Purple Milk Vetch, Burnet Rose, Devil’s Bit Scabious, St John’s Wort and many more. These plants provide a food source to an abundance of insects which in turn provide food to the large bird and animal populations.

Within the gorse the small glades provide a habitat for many species of insect, including butterflies and day flying moths. The stone dykes provide a habitat for Stoats and Weasels which use the gaps at ground level to nest. Within the grasslands there are small tunnels which have been created by small mammals such as Field Mice, Voles and Shrews which take cover in the denser, more tussocky patches of rough. Buffer strips and no-spray areas have been established around water courses and gorse outcrops to reduce the risks of surface water and habitat contamination.

Designations

St Andrews Old Course features areas that are designated or protected at the following levels:

• International
• National Government

Surveys

The following ecological surveys have been undertaken:

Title
Botanical
Birds
STRI Open Championship - Ecological Survey & Assessment

Habitats

Estimated area of habitats at St Andrews Old Course:

• Rough ‘ecological’ grassland: 10 ha
• Scrub and shrub vegetation: 10 ha
• Open water features: 0.3 ha
• Heather and other dwarf shrub communities: 0.8 ha

Activities

St Andrews Old Course has undertaken the following activities to enhance nature protection:

Activity
Regular Sandmartin Watch
Encourage staff & and golfers about wildlife conservation
Gorse has been mapped by GPS
Grassland management
IPM approach

Landscape & Heritage

Buildings have been designed for low impact/no screening required and finished in colours which help them blend in with the surroundings. Attention has been paid to colour, styles and textures of materials used; e.g. for buildings, site equipment, advertising and other signage and furniture. Shell has been used on selected paths. Other paths and roadways have been finished in a tarmac with low visual impact finish or astroturf. Floodlighting has been dipped to avoid blinding glare. The open character is preserved by minimal/no tree planting.

Great attention is given to cutting lines and how they look and fit in with the contours of the course. The contours are used as natural hazards, which can aid or hamper the golfer. The cutting lines and contours help focus the golfer and clearly define the hole.

Retention and protection of historical features specified. All greens, tees, fairways and bunkers on the site have been mapped using GPS and are stored on computer on-site. Some areas of gorse and heather have also been mapped by GPS. March Stones have been covered with Astroturf hoods for protection and to prevent ricochets. Stone Dykes are pointed as and when required to prevent them falling into disrepair. The famous Swilcan Bridge is also an Historic feature.

Designations

St Andrews Old Course features the following landscape designations:

• Historic Landscapes / Parklands
• Designed Landscape

St Andrews Old Course does not feature any cultural heritage designations or protected features.

Surveys

No landscape assessments or appraisals have been carried out at this site.

No archaeological or heritage surveys have been carried out at this site.

Activities

St Andrews Old Course undertakes the following activities to enhance landscape and cultural heritage:

Activity
Erosion Control
Salt Marsh Regeneration

Water

All irrigation water used on the Old Course comes from a series of boreholes. It is measured by meter upon entering the storage tank, and also on electricity charges. All water used in the clubhouse, offices, greenkeeping centres, practice centre, on-course toilets and drinking fountains is mains water.

Annual rainfall records are compiled from our own on-course weather station and using data from nearby RAF Leuchars. Television/radio/website forecasts are also considered daily. Average annual rainfall is in the region of 525 mm.

A minimal approach to irrigation of the courses is our objective. A new system was installed between 1999 and 2001 which gives exceptional control to irrigation applications. The total area of golf courses, including turf nurseries is approximately 50 hectares (Old Course & Kincaple Turf Nursery). The total area which could be irrigated is 20 ha, or approximately 45%.

All waste water runoff is to soakaways and then to groundwater. Regular borehole checks are made by either the University of St Andrews or Scotts UK and monitored against recommended parameters.

Irrigation water is passed through a sulphur burner and ph monitored in the tank, ph is also monitored at sprinkler heads by the Course Manager. Drainage water can be monitored at various outlets around the course. There are no spray zones around the different water courses on the Links in compliance with current legislation.

The figures for irrigating the golf course is 20% of the irrigation used across all 5 1/2 golf courses on the Links. Our recording system does not allow us to differentiate which course the water goes to once it leaves the tank. the total figure given is the amount extracted from the boreholes divided by five.

Consumption

Water sources

	Primary Source	Secondary Source (if used)
Clubhouse	Public / Potable	N/A
Golf Courses	Groundwater	N/A
Accommodation	N/A	N/A
Maintenance facility	Public / Potable	N/A
Other	Public / Potable	N/A

Irrigation

The following areas are irrigated:

Area name	Approx. Hectarage
Greens	3 ha
Tees	1 ha
Fairways	12 ha
Semi-rough	2 ha
Bruce Embankment	1 ha
Bruce PG	0.25 ha
Turf Nursery	0.1 ha

Analysis

St Andrews Old Course undertakes environmental monitoring of water quality.

	Chemical	Biological	Last Test Date	Tester
Inflow	Yes	Yes	2009-07-02	Tayside Scientific Services
On-site	No	No
Outflow	No	No

Activities

St Andrews Old Course has undertaken the following activities to conserve / reduce / minimise water consumption:

• Minimise irrigated area
• Irrigate in the evenings
• De-compact the soil
• Grass species selection
• Regular inspections for irrigation system leaks
• Soil moisture analysis
• Use of wetting agents
• Gathering of evapotranspiration data
• Hand watering as required
• Gather ET data
• aerate by water injection

St Andrews Old Course undertakes the following activities to protect and enhance water quality:

• Maintain vegetative buffers
• No spray zones
• Erosion control
• Pest and disease tolerant grass selection
• Informed selection of fertiliser type
• Informed selection of pesticides (least toxic, least persistent)
• Water Quality Testing & Monitoring
• pH of water checked daily

Turf

St Andrews Links is steeped in tradition with the Old Course being credited as where golf began. Our aim therefore on the course is to retain those traditions and produce a high quality fescue and bent turf for golf where possible while keeping any impact on the environment to a minimum by using cultural methods where practical.

St Andrews Old Course maintains the following turfgrass species:

Greens

• Fescue (Festuca rubra)
• Browntop bent (Agrostis tenuis)

Surrounds & Approaches

• Browntop bent (Agrostis tenuis)
• Fescue (Festuca rubra)

Tees

• Browntop bent (Agrostis tenuis)
• Fescue (Festuca rubra)

Fairways

• Browntop bent (Agrostis tenuis)
• Fescue (Festuca rubra)

Semi-rough

• Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne)
• Browntop bent (Agrostis tenuis)

St Andrews Old Course regularly undertakes the following practices to improve turf health:

• Top Dressing - 10 times per year
• Micro Tining - 6 times per year
• Scarification - 2 times per year
• Verticutting - 6 times per year
• Deep Anti Compaction - 2 times per year
• Rolling - 48 times per year

Nutrition

Our target for greens is to apply between 30kg to 50 kg of Nitrogen per hectare per annum with a similar or slightly lower application rate of potash. Phosphate is not a consideration as application rates are so low and generally phosphate is only added prior to overseeding or turfing. Fertiliser applications are very dependent on weather and growth rates but a typical annual programme for greens would be as follows:

March - an application of lawn sand containing 4% to 8% N or similar and 3% Iron applied at 25-35g/m2.

Late April/Early May - an application of 16.0.16 at 15-20g/m2 or similar. This is a granular compound with six to ten weeks longevity.

September - a low nitrogen fertiliser, 3% to 4% with 16% potash or similar applied at 30g/m2 to help the greens through the winter period.

Liquid feeds are occasionally added as a supplement between these main applications.

Fertiliser programmes for the tees and aprons are as the greens programme with timings and rates also the same. Fairways are not fertilised as a whole with only small selected areas done if required. These are assessed for grass cover and usually done by hand/pedestrian applicators when required. A 4.0.8 product would be applied in the Autumn at 25g/m2 if required.

The greenkeeping staff feed the following areas of the golf course:

• Greens
• Tees
• Fairways

Pest & Disease Control

All legislation and regulations on the use of pesticides are strictly adhered to. We review our choice of all pesticides purchased annually to select the least hazardous product if suitable. Herbicide usage is minimal with only selected areas sprayed after assessment by the Course Manager and his Deputy.

It is not our policy to blanket spray a golf course although it is common to spray a complete fairway. Spot treatment of greens is recommended if weeds are unsuitable to be hand picked or plugged out.

Spot treatment of tees is recommended rather than a blanket spray.

Disease tolerance thresholds are defined through experience and assessments are made prior to any action being taken by the Director of Greenkeeping and Course Manager. With our lean fertiliser and irrigation programme, diseases are uncommon with occasionally only fusarium being an issue. Experience at St Andrews shows that quite often this disease will go of its own accord if the weather conditions turn cooler.

Pest threshold tolerances are defined through experience and assessments are made prior to any action being taken by the Director of Greenkeeping and Course Manager.

Casting earthworms - With no suitable chemical control available, casting earthworms can create problems in areas of shade and higher moisture contact soil. This is controlled culturally by scarifying to remove excess thatch and then aerating followed by sanding to improve drainage.

Moles - These are either caught by an approved type of trap or Talunex tablets are placed into the run. Talunex is an approved pesticide and the operator a trained user.

Leatherjackets - With little thatch on the play areas leatherjackets are not deemed a problem. Leatherjacket damage in the roughs is left.

Rabbits - Rabbits are controlled by Talunex being placed in the burrow by an approved operator. A minimal amount of shooting with an air rifle takes place in summer before 6.00 am.

Pesticide use:

• Fungicides - Never
• Herbicides - If Necessary
• Insecticides - If Necessary
• Lumbricides - If Necessary
• Growth Regulator - If Necessary

St Andrews Old Course keeps detailed records of pesticide application.

Activites

St Andrews Old Course undertakes the following activities to minimise / reduce pesticide use:

Activity
Regular aeration
Regular cultural practices implemented
Minimal fertiliser use
Regular Soil Analysis
Organic Matter Assessment
Greater use of Hydroject aerifier
Regular contact and advice from STRI

Waste

Our policy is to minimise, re-use and recycle all materials wherever practicable. The Trust maintains a register of all hazardous products which are kept on site and a clearly defined accident protocol is in place. Hazardous products are stored, applied and disposed of in accordance with legal requirements and label instructions. Waste oil is stored in separate ,above ground containers collected by Orcol. Used filters are stored in a drum and collected by Safety Clean. Empty chemical containers are cleaned and stored in appropriate storage areas. Scrap metal is stored in a separate skip. Tyres and batteries are returned to suppliers for recycling.

Unleaded petrol is stored in locked below-ground, double lined tanks which are pressure-tested every five years. Records are completed to ensure accurate quantities of petrol can be compared with ‘dipping’ records which would highlight any shortfalls. The tanks are fitted with an electronic leak detector. Policy for dealing with grass clippings. Clipping of greens/tees and aprons are collected at all times. Fairways clippings are collected 95% of the time. All clippings are deposited in paved areas, generally at each green/tee complex and collected from there on a weekly basis (or more/less frequently depending on growth /amount). They are then transported to storage areas and mixed with sand, soil and other materials, old bunker faces etc. and composted to be used again later in things such as divot mix, packing behind bunker faces, topdressings and in construction work.

Figures for the amount of solid waste produced for the year to date are 68 skip loads – no breakdown for the clubhouse/sheds is available.

The Trust’s monthly newsletter (circulation 3000) is now printed on recycled paper and there are plans to expand this to other Trust publications. Staff are encouraged to use double sided photocopying wherever possible for day to day copying.

Management

Waste streams for St Andrews Old Course

	Avoid	Re-use	Recycle	Landfill	Incineration	Registered Uplift
Glass	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Plastic	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Aluminium	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Metal	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Paper	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Cardboard	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Electrical	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Grass Clippings	No	Yes	No	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	No	No	No	No
Leaves	No	Yes	No	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	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Oil Filters	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Batteries	No	No	No	No	No	Yes

St Andrews Old Course has secure storage for hazardous material.

Chemicals are stored under lock and key in a registered storage unit which meets the legal requirements and has appropriate signage.

Surveys

St Andrews Old Course has not undertaken a waste audit.

Waste Water

St Andrews Old Course manages its water as follows:

	Discharges to:	Legally Compliant?	Formal Discharge Agreement
Clubhouse	Septic Tank	Yes	Waste Water Clubhouse Formal Discharge Arrangement
Accommodation	Septic Tank	Yes	Waste Water Accommodation Formal Discharge Arrangement
Maintenance Facility	Septic Tank	Yes	N/A
Wash Pad	Septic Tank	Yes	Waste Water Wash Pad Formal Discharge Arrangement

Activities

St Andrews Old Course undertakes the following activities to reduce resource consumption or minimise waste:

Educating Staff

• All staff are encouraged to attend educational seminars run by various organisations to enhance their knowledge of the industry.

Plastic Bottles only sold on site

• In our premises - clubhouses, on course food cart and maintenance facility, only plastic recyclable bottles are sold to customers.

seperate waste

• when collecting the rubbish from the bins on the tee boxes and others bins around the course, staff seperate the plastic bottles and aluminium cans which are collected for recyclying.

metal

• Any metal from the facility is stored and periodically sold to a local scrap merchant for recyclying.

containers

• Chemical containers, spray paint cans, light bulbs, batteries etc are all stored securely and uplifted regularly under license by certificated companies.

waste oil

• Used engine oil is stored and uplifted by certiificated companies.

Grass Clippings stored and composted for further use

• All grass clippings from the course are removed twice weekly and dropped at a recycling area , they are mixed with gorse clippings to make compost which is either re-used on the golf course or given away free to season ticket holders (golfers)

soil/turves/cores

• All soil, sand, old turves, cores, leaves etc from work undertaken on the course is taken to a central area where it breaks down and is mixed with sand, screened and re used on the course on future contruction jobs, topdressing or as divot mix.

cardboard

• Like paper, cardboard is stored and collected for recyclying on a regular basis.

printing

• Print cartridges are recycled. photocopiers are set by default to print black/white.

Pins , holecups

• In March 2010 we gave old holecups away to two local 9 hole golf courses to use on their courses. we have done similar in the past with cups and also flagpins.

Pallets

• Many of our materials come in pallets which are either kept and uplifted by the supplier later if required, sold, or chipped to help make compost.

paper

• Paper is separated in offices etc and stored for collection for recycling. Staff are encouraged to use email. If printing to go double sided and avoid colour photocopying. Envelopes are re used to send internal documents between departments

Energy

The policy for energy consumption is to efficiently control electricity use and strive to reduce fuel consumption wherever possible. Electric vehicles are used where possible and diesel fuel rather than petrol.
The Caddie Pavilion has been fitted with energy saving lighting.
All petrol consumption is strictly monitored and recorded as required under current legislation. Light sensors have been used as much as practically possible in non-public areas such as Staff Canteen with energy saving light bulbs installed throughout the building to conserve as much energy as possible.

We have taken certain energy and carbon reducing steps in the Links Clubhouse such as fitting both Ecoflow magnets (10) and Savastat Controls to gas heating boilers. Where possible, energy saving lightbulbs have replaced existing bulbs. Furthermore, to reduce water usage, we have installed dual flush units in toilets.

In the kitchen an additional kitchen waste tank has been installed to contain and manage liquid kitchen waste prior to pumping to main sewer; this reduces total pump usage.

We are currently in the process of installing a Perfector; a voltage stabilization unit which is projected to save £300.00 per year on electricity.

Consumption

Energy and fuel use in 2009

• Electricity - 829722 Kwh
• Gas - 64076 Cubic Metres
• Diesel - 27867 Litres
• Petrol - 5340 Litres
• Hydralic Oil - 180 Litres

Surveys

St Andrews Old Course has undertaken an Energy Audit:

2009-11-03 - Scottish Energy Efficiency Office

Activities

Activities undertaken to record energy consumption:

• Petrol Records
• Keep electric and gas records

Activities undertaken to reduce energy consumption:

• Sensor activated lights in public areas

Green purchasing activities undertaken:

• use recycled paper for some publications

Departments involved in energy saving activities:

• All

Education & Awareness

Knowledge

Employees of St Andrews Old Course receive the following formal and informal environmental education:

• Pesticide storage, application and disposal
• Efficient water management
• Emergencies / accident management
• Habitat and vegetation management
• Waste minimisation, separation and recycling
• Health and safety
• Energy
• Landscape and cultural heritage issues
• Environmental management planning

St Andrews Old Course keeps formal staff training records for these departments:

• Greenkeeping
• Administrative
• Catering
• Accomodation

St Andrews Old Course keeps the following record of accidents in the workplace:

• Number
• Type
• Severity

Communications

St Andrews Old Course undertakes the following internal environmental communications:

• Newsletters
• Members evenings
• Course walks
• Displaying awards
• Notice boards
• Poster displays
• Course guides / brochures
• Course signage
• Nature trail

St Andrews Old Course undertakes the following external environmental communications:

• Website
• Course walks / Open days
• Press releases
• Attending community meetings
• Brochures
• Joint practical projects with community

Partnerships

St Andrews Old Course works with the following external groups:

• Local environmental groups
• Neighbours
• Local community groups
• Schools
• Colleges
• BIGGA
• SGEG
• STRI
• Fife Countryside Ranger service

Management Planning

Environmental Policy (PDF)

St Andrews Links Trust - Environmental Statement.pdf

Environmental Management Plan

St Andrews Old Course has an Environmental Management Plan covering:

• Nature
• Landscape & Culture
• Water
• Turf
• Waste
• Energy
• Education & Awareness

Working Group

St Andrews Old Course has an environmental working group, comprising the following individuals/organisations:

• General Manager
• Course Manager
• Technical Specialist
• Local Community