Champion of the Green – March 2015

Dundonald Links are recognised as this months ‘Champions of the Green’. Both Guy Redford (Director of Golf) and Amanda Dorans (Greenkeeper and Environmental Coordinator) have played instrumental roles in cultivating an ethos at the club that focuses on community integration, efficient operations and ensuring a positive environmental impact.

Their dedication to the OnCourse® programme saw the club awarded with golf’s ecolabel, GEO Certified®, in 2013. Since certification, the club has continued to explore new environmental and community initiatives, contributing to their impressive management structure and led them to becoming the overall winner of the 2015 IAGTO Sustainability Awards for exceptional management.

Guy Redford commented:

“Through our team’s passion and dedication to environmental sustainability, the Club has in return become more efficient and commercially viable. In addition, our partnerships with local and national organisations and, in particular, within the local community have been extremely rewarding, supporting education, building relationships and opening doors to new opportunities. The OnCourse® programme is a great tool and provided new ideas while acting as a vehicle for us to tell our story. We’ve also been able to make considerable savings throughout the process; sustainability is one of the few instances where you see a true win-win.”

With fantastic programmes such as their ‘Learning in Nature’ project for local school children, their close working relationships with Statutory consultees and their outstanding efforts to minimise onsite waste production, Dundonald links has set a benchmark at such a high level, creating a management regime that other golf clubs should aspire to.

Amanda Dorans explained:

“We are always looking for new ways to improve our social and environmental contribution; whether it’s by working closely with our suppliers to reduce waste, changing our operating procedures or by expanding our nature conservation interest over and outwith the golf course”.

Given this focus and the extent to which the club has immersed sustainability into the fabric of their operations, it is inevitable that Dundonald Links will continue to lead the way, consistently increasing their value to the local community.

Read their OnCourse® report here: https://www.golfenvironment.org/directory/774_dundonald_links

Read more about Dundonald Links here:

https://www.golfenvironment.org/whats_new/news/936_dundonald_links_geo_certified