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Walton Heath awarded international distinction

August 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Walton Heath awarded international distinction: Walton Heath Golf Club, host venue of this week’s AIG Women’s Open, has achieved GEO Certified(r) status for sustainable golf, underlining its strong commitment and performance across key themes for sustainable golf course operations. GEO Certification is overseen by GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf – the international non-profit organisation dedicated […]

Aspen extend ‘Experience the Difference’ trial for GroundsFest

August 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Aspen extend ‘Experience the Difference’ trial for GroundsFest: Following the success of their ‘Experience the Difference’ money-back promotion over the last 12 months, Aspen Fuel are delighted to announce an extension of the scheme for visitors attending GroundsFest this September. 2023 sees Aspen celebrating 35 years as the pioneers of alkylate fuel – free from […]

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

August 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Aspen extend ‘Experience the Difference’ trial for GroundsFest

August 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

August 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Walton Heath awarded international distinction: Walton Heath Golf Club, host venue of this week’s AIG Women’s Open, has achieved GEO Certified(r) status for sustainable golf, underlining its strong commitment and performance across key themes for sustainable golf course operations.

GEO Certification is overseen by GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf – the international non-profit organisation dedicated to delivering programmes that help people on the ground to evaluate, improve and credibly communicate their sustainability work. The international distinction confirms the facility satisfies all the certification criteria; meeting a credible standard in the areas of nature, resources, climate and community, and is committed to continual improvement.

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

Michael Mann, Course Manager at Walton Heath, said: “Becoming GEO certified really fits in with what we are trying to achieve at Walton Heath. Is is good for evaluating resource efficiencies, particularly with rising costs, and with the focus on nature and this being such an important conservation site it is important to manage the courses in the right way. Our rainfall capture systems and borehole extraction for example all fit with the GEO Certification and anything which helps you explore ways to improve is rightly a good thing. Demonstrating the positive impacts golf brings is so important to the club and wider community.”

Carole Kerrey, Credibility Manager at GEO Certification Ltd, said: “Walton Heath is a shining example of positive action in sustainable golf. The accredited third-party verifier was very impressed by the practices in place and the commitment and enthusiasm to do more. The club’s awareness of the importance of its site and progressive drive and determination to continually improve highlights what can be achieved towards building a more sustainable future.”

Walton Heath’s Sustainable Golf Highlights include:

*A biodiversity audit of the Old Course at Walton Heath undertaken in 2022 highlighted 175 different species. This included 12 Species of Principal Importance, such as the small heath butterfly and brown long-eared bat (also a European Protected Species), and five birds of conservation concern: two red listed, and three amber listed.

*11 notable plant species were also recorded, including all three native heathers: common heather, bell heather and cross-leaved heather, all of which are Near Threatened in England.

*The greenkeepers at Walton Heath painstakingly manage areas of nationally important lowland heathland and acid grassland across the golf courses to ensure that these habitats support a diverse range of wildlife.

*Since 2000, Walton Heath have collaborated with various organisations, including Natural England, the Forestry Commission, The RSPB, Surrey Wildlife Trust and the Surrey Heathland Project to restore nine hectares of pure heath.

*Areas of the practice range are left as buffer zones for pollinators. Heather nursery areas are encouraged alongside expanses of unmanaged but monitored rough.

*Water supply and efficiency has been boosted with the construction of a reservoir to store water drawn from a borehole along with a rainfall capture system alongside the M25 bank which runs along the boundary of the site. As well as reducing potable water consumption, the reservoir was designed with a marginal shelf to create support habitat and biodiversity. A new irrigation system installed in 2022 further improves precision and efficiency.

*Solar panels power the maintenance complex with all electric and hybrid equipment are charged using renewable energy. Surplus energy is sold back into the grid and all the club’s energy needs are obtained from renewable sources.

*The chef purchases much of the produce used from local sources – within a 10-mile radius.

*The club manage a car park used for daily dog walking and other recreational activities, maintaining clean and safe access to the common for the community. The club and greenstaff also manage a recreation ground on site for football and other sports, Break Lane school fields for the school, the old pheasantry and the local pond within the village of Walton on the Hill.

This week’s AIG Women’s Open will also see a range of sustainability actions implemented through The R&A’s Greenlinks programme including nature walks around Walton Heath in partnership with the RSPB. Such actions help continue to raise awareness of positive impacts highlighted at tournaments through the joint LPGA and LET Celebrating the Green presented by Dow initiative.

For further information: www.waltonheath.com

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Aspen extend ‘Experience the Difference’ trial for GroundsFest

August 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Aspen extend ‘Experience the Difference’ trial for GroundsFest: Following the success of their ‘Experience the Difference’ money-back promotion over the last 12 months, Aspen Fuel are delighted to announce an extension of the scheme for visitors attending GroundsFest this September.

2023 sees Aspen celebrating 35 years as the pioneers of alkylate fuel – free from ethanol, benzene and other hazardous hydrocarbons making it a better choice for people, machinery and the environment.

Aspen extend ‘Experience the Difference’ trial for GroundsFest

Many grounds contractors, landscapers and arborists are already reaping the rewards of the improvements to their working environment by fuelling their petrol-engined equipment with Aspen Fuel. Recommended by LANTRA, the cleaner burn of Aspen all-but eliminates the noxious fumes and infamous ‘blue haze’ traditionally experienced with unleaded fuel from the pump, not only improving the health and well-being of the operator but also those in the immediate environment.

Visitors to outside stand 350 can find out more about the ‘Experience the Difference’ trial, which enables businesses to use the 2 and 4-stroke fuel risk-free in their own working environments and return the unused fuel if they change their mind for a refund of the cost difference.

“We understand that concerns around cost or logistics can sometimes delay the decision to give Aspen a try, however, once they do, we find companies rarely look back” explains Axel Hildebrand, Business Development Manager for Aspen Fuel. “We want to give all business owners at GroundsFest the opportunity to discover the difference that this fuel can make to their operation, their machinery and their workers welfare and we can do that with the assurance that the customer won’t incur any increase in their fuel costs for the duration of the trial.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

Aspen extend ‘Experience the Difference’ trial for GroundsFest

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

Aspen extend ‘Experience the Difference’ trial for GroundsFest

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

Walton Heath awarded international distinction: Walton Heath Golf Club, host venue of this week’s AIG Women’s Open, has achieved GEO Certified(r) status for sustainable golf, underlining its strong commitment and performance across key themes for sustainable golf course operations.

Aspen extend ‘Experience the Difference’ trial for GroundsFest

Aspen extend ‘Experience the Difference’ trial for GroundsFest: Following the success of their ‘Experience the Difference’ money-back promotion over the last 12 months, Aspen Fuel are delighted to announce an extension of the scheme for visitors attending GroundsFest this September.

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