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.
Mirimichi
Millington, United States
Certified 04 / 2010
Forsgårdens Golfklubb
Kungsbacka, Sweden
Certified 05 / 2009
Riviera Cancun
Cancún, Mexico
Certified 02 / 2010
Viborg Golfklub
Viborg, Denmark
Certified 09 / 2009
Golfbaan de Rottebergen
Bergschenhoek, Netherlands
Certified 10 / 2009
Golf Club La Pinetina
Appiano Gentile, Italy
Certified 02 / 2010
Swinley Road, Ascot
Berkshire, United Kingdom, SL5 8AY
This On Course™ Report indicates the commitment of The Berkshire Golf Club to become a GEO Certified facility by February 24th 2013
It has been automatically generated from data submitted to the Golf Environment Organization by The Berkshire Golf Club. Publication of this data is the first step towards becoming a GEO Certified facility.
To achieve full certification The Berkshire Golf Club 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.
CHRIS - CAN YOU EXTRACT ANY TEXT FROM LEE'S REPORTS FOR THIS - MAKE IT MORE HABITAT / ECOLOGY AND SPECIES ORIENTATED? - ESP A REF RE THE HUGE AMOUNT OF NATIVE WOODLAND AND HIGHLY VALUABLE HEATHLAND PATCHES.
A 36 hole heathland golf course set in Crown Estate land on the edge of Windsor Forest. Both courses were designed by Herbert Fowler and opened in 1926. In structure they are largely the same today as the day they were built. Push up greens with a bent/poa mix and largely fescue tees and fairways. The woodland edges were allowed to overgrow for many years but are now part of a forestry management plan. The heather is seen as a valuable asset to the courses and is managed and encouraged accordingly.
Both courses feature in the UK's top 40 list and have a rich history of amateur golf events.
The Berkshire Golf Club features areas that are designated or protected at the following levels:
The following ecological surveys have been undertaken:
| Title |
|---|
| Botanical |
| Birds |
| Invertebrates |
| Amphibians |
Estimated area of habitats at The Berkshire Golf Club:
The Berkshire Golf Club has undertaken the following activities to enhance nature protection:
| Activity |
|---|
| Nature piles |
| Bird Boxes |
| Wild Heather |
| Rhododendron Management |
| WOODLAND THINNING |
The Berkshire Golf Club exists on 576 acres of Crown Estate land adjoining the Windsor Estate. Swinley Forest comprises over 2,600 acres of woodland (once part of the great and ancient Windsor Forests, which were recently replanted after clearances during WWI and WWII.
During WW1 the land containing the golf courses were cleared of it's forest habitat and the wood used as pit props in the trenches of Northern France.
During the 2nd WW the courses were used as a munitions store and had a rail line built through it to transport them around the country.
The course is set out across gently undulating hills, amidst managed Scotts Pine forests. Within the course there are large areas of heather, gorse, pine trees and other indigenous plants that you would expect to fine on typical nutrient deficient heathland soils.
Other heritage features include a number of brick barrel bridges that are said to have been built as ditch crossings for Queen Anne as she regularly travelled through the Swinley Forest while hunting for wild boar.
The Berkshire Golf Club does not feature any landscape designations.
The Berkshire Golf Club does not feature any cultural heritage designations or protected features.
No landscape assessments or appraisals have been carried out at this site.
The following archaeological and heritage surveys have been carried out at the site:
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 2008-11-03 | Survey of reservoir site |
The Berkshire Golf Club undertakes the following activities to enhance landscape and cultural heritage:
| Activity |
|---|
| Heather regeneration |
| Barrel Bridge renovation |
THE MAIN SOURCE OF WATER USED AT THE BERKSHIRE IS FOR THE IRRIGATION OF GREENS, TEES AND FAIRWAYS. OUR WATER SUPPLY COMES FORM 100% NON POTABLE, RECYCLED RUNOFF AND TREATED EFFLUENT. WE ARE EXTREMELY CAREFUL TO TARGET ALL WATER ACCURATELY, AND IN PARTICULAR AVOID THE IRRIGATION OF SEMI-ROUGH AND ROUGH GRASSLAND AREAS. AS PART OF OUR ADAPTATION TO A CHANGING CLIMATE, WE RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED A LARGE HOLDING POND FOR WINTER RAINFALL, WHICH PROVIDES SUFFICIENT STORAGE FOR ANY, PREDOMINANTLY SPRING AND SUMMER APPLICATIONS.
| Primary Source | Secondary Source (if used) | |
|---|---|---|
| Clubhouse | Public / Potable | N/A |
| Golf Courses | Recycled Drainage & Irrigation | Treated Effluent |
| Accommodation | Public / Potable | N/A |
| Maintenance facility | Recycled Drainage & Irrigation | N/A |
| Other | N/A | N/A |
The following areas are irrigated:
| Area name | Approx. Hectarage |
|---|---|
| Greens | 2 ha |
| Tees | 2 ha |
| Fairways | 16 ha |
| Semi-rough | 3 ha |
The Berkshire Golf Club undertakes environmental monitoring of water quality.
| Chemical | Biological | Last Test Date | Tester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflow | Yes | Yes | 2009-09-01 | Environment Agency |
| On-site | Yes | Yes | 2009-09-01 | Environment Agency |
| Outflow | Yes | Yes | 2009-09-01 | Environment Agency |
The Berkshire Golf Club has undertaken the following activities to conserve / reduce / minimise water consumption:
The Berkshire Golf Club undertakes the following activities to protect and enhance water quality:
Greens are managed in a way to encourage bent grasses. Thatch levels are acceptable and therefore disturbance is kept to a minimum. Regular brushing, overseeding and topdressing has seen a huge increase in bent grass over recent years. Nitrogen input is kept low and irrigation is largely done by hand to ensure the greens only receive what they need.
Fairways are largely fescue and this is encouraged with regular overseeding and minimal, if any, fertiliser input. A sophisticated irrigation system ensures only areas that need it receive water. It is only used as an insurance cover and firm brown fairways in the summer are the desire of the club.
Tees are now only sewn with fescue in a bid to recapture their traditional appearance. Once again fertiliser and water are kept to a minimum.
The Berkshire Golf Club maintains the following turfgrass species:
The Berkshire Golf Club regularly undertakes the following practices to improve turf health:
Greens 60 - 90 Kg's of N per Ha per year
Fairways 0 - 36 Kg's of N per Ha per year
Tees 90 - 120 Kg's of N per year.
The greenkeeping staff feed the following areas of the golf course:
Everything is done to ensure all chemical application is a last resort. HERBICIDES ARE only applied to areas that actually require it and is usually done by knapsack. "...on a natural heathland site, occasional weeds are to be expected and not feared". (Extracted from our Environmental Management Plan)
Disease applications are kept to a minimum and in the main are curative. However practical trials have shown that a preventative application of fungicide in the autumn prevents any further need for disease management throughout the winter and early spring. This reduction in fungicide use is helped by the use of the very latest products which better target the most impacting pathogens and have a longer lasting effect in suppressing fungal attacks on the grass plant.
Insecticide is only ever applied to the greens, as and when badly needed and very rarely. Our tolerance levels for insect damage are high and spot treatments are always the method of delivery.
The Berkshire Golf Club keeps detailed records of pesticide application.
The Berkshire Golf Club undertakes the following activities to minimise / reduce pesticide use:
| Activity |
|---|
| Minimal NPK |
| Minimal Water use |
| Cutting Heights |
OUT ON THE COURSE WE endeavour to keep waste to a minimum. WE COLLECT THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF CLIPPINGS, LEAVING ALL OTHERS TO RETURN TO THE SOI AS AN ORGANIC FOR OF FERTILISER. ALL SANDS, SOILS, CORES AND TURF IS COMPOSTED, MIXED AND REUSED IN CONSTRUCTION AND TOP DRESSINGS.
All DRY recyclable waste, INCLUDING GLASS, ALUMINIUM, PAPER, CARDBOARD AND PLASTIC is separated and disposed of in the correct containers in collaboration with the club house.
Similarly all waste oil's, batteries, aerosol cans and containers are collected by a REGISTERED waste management company.
Products are ordered where possible, with a view to reduce the amount of waste after use. WE WANT TO USE LESS packaging AND MATERIALS AS PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO REDUCE OUR CONSUMPTION OF THE WATER AND ENERGY THAT IS EMBODIES IN THE MANUFACTURING AND TRANSPORT OF PRODUCTS. WE NOW BULK BUY TO , E.G. A 200ltr drum instead of 20 x 10ltr containers etc.
Grass clippings and smaller tree debris are ALSO composted, WITH Water from the composting site BEING collected and re applied to the compost.
Forestry management waste is collected and EXPORTED TO a local wood burning energy plant, THAT IN TURN SUPPLIES THE ENERGY FOR....NUMBER PEOPLE / LOCAL SCHOOL???? WHAT? - THIS IS A GREAT STORY.
| 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 | No | No | No | Yes |
| Grass Clippings | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Cores | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Turf | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Sand | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Wood / Timber | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Leaves | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Detergents | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 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 |
The Berkshire Golf Club has secure storage for hazardous material.
The Berkshire Golf Club has not undertaken a waste audit.
| 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 | Closed Loop Recycling | Yes | N/A |
| Wash Pad | Closed Loop Recycling | Yes | N/A |
The Berkshire Golf Club undertakes the following activities to reduce resource consumption or minimise waste:
UNFORTUNATELY, AND DUE TO OUR REMOTE LOCATION FROM THE MAINS GRID, NO SOURCE OF GAS IS AVAILABLE TO THE CLUB. Therefore we currently use oil for the HEATING OF BOTH THE AIR AND WATER IN THE club house and 5 adjoining residences. WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPLORING THE MOST EFFICIENT AND SECOND GENERATION BIOFUEL OPTIONS FOR THE SYSTEM.
The Berkshire Golf Club has undertaken an Energy Audit:
2010-04-12 - The Carbon Trust
Activities undertaken to record energy consumption:
Activities undertaken to reduce energy consumption:
Green purchasing activities undertaken:
Departments involved in energy saving activities:
Employees of The Berkshire Golf Club receive the following formal and informal environmental education:
The Berkshire Golf Club keeps formal staff training records for these departments:
The Berkshire Golf Club keeps the following record of accidents in the workplace:
The Berkshire Golf Club undertakes the following internal environmental communications:
The Berkshire Golf Club undertakes the following external environmental communications:
The Berkshire Golf Club works with the following external groups:
The Berkshire Golf Club has an Environmental Management Plan covering:
The Berkshire Golf Club has an environmental working group, comprising the following individuals/organisations:
