Sustainability committee push for GEO accreditation

Nevill GC applies for Sustainability Certification from 'The GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf' [“GEO”] - June 2024

The Nevill GC Sustainability Subcommittee is delighted to report that our application for Sustainability Certification from The GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf has been submitted. The Golf Environment Organisation (GEO) Certification is a comprehensive modern certification, developed to the highest credibility standard, to help golf facilities demonstrate and be recognized for their environmental and social responsibility. Many golf clubs around the world have successfully applied for such a certification including a number of prestigious UK clubs (**see below).

The application has been prepared over a period of 18 months involving over 500 data points and the Sustainability Subcommittee would like to thank the Chairman and Board for their support throughout and, indeed, to the many staff/members who have supported the application process. The application will now be formally reviewed and we will be subject to a formal inspection visit over forthcoming months.

Updates on some of the initiatives:

Bird & Bat Boxes - it is terrific to receive positive comments from members on the 26 bird/bat boxes that have been put up around the course over recent months and indeed that there have been sightings of the boxes being used. The new tit box by the 4th tee being a good example by some busy blue tits. The large barn owl boxes have now been hung up overlooking the land to the right of the 7th hole.

Bore Hole - licensed for 7 years it allows us to extract 12,820m3 water annually, with an extraction period between April and September (70m3 per day), to complement the licenced 30m3 we can extract from the the stream per day. From a sustainability viewpoint it allows us to be self sufficient & removes the need to top up water supply with mains water. From a course perspective this additional water supply allows us to further upgrade the irrigation system, such as watering approaches, surrounds and high traffic areas.

Wild Flower Meadow - as you take the walk from the 14th green to the 15th tee you will notice that the wild flowers and grasses we sowed to create the wild flower meadow are starting to bloom on either side of the path albeit it will take a few years to fully mature. We are excited by the potential for this area as not only are wildflowers a joy to experience but they are incredibly important for biodiversity. A single wildflower meadow can be home to over 100 species of wildflower, which then provides food for other wildlife such as birds, bees, bats and hedgehogs. By carefully clearing and rotavating this area we expect an appealing display of wild flowers to develop over the next few years flowering between June and September including Lady's Bedstraw, Lesser Knapweed, Yellow Rattle, Cowslip, Ribwort Plantain, Self Heal and 12 others. We have also planted 8 grasses in the area primarily Crested Dogstail and Chewings Fescue.  

Website - there is now a feature on Sustainability under the Information section of the NGC website. The content will be updated regularly as we capture the progress we are making with our initiatives to foster nature and conserve resources.  

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