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Bush Hill Park

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Course Status

Course Status

Course Closed. Due to saturated ground conditions and high winds the course will remain closed today for health and safety reasons. Next review will take place tomorrow morning. Updated: 7th Dec 2024

WHERE GOLF AND NATURE CAN CO-EXIST IN HARMONY

Sustainability

At Bush Hill Park, we acknowledge the social responsibility and environmental stewardship we inherently possess as a golf club located in an urban area with a course spanning just under 100 acres of parkland. We are committed to upholding the longevity, resilience, and sustainability of the game of golf, supporting the local community, and safeguarding the planet.

Our Sustainability Programme represents our ongoing efforts to establish an enduring legacy of the game we love.

Our programme on the golf course is defined by the continuous evaluation and improvement of greenkeeping practices to reduce dependency on water, fertilisers, and chemicals, and minimise energy and water waste. In addition to the preservation and promotion of essential ecosystems and wildlife habitats that help us maintain a safe and harmonious environment for all that benefit from the course — both players and wildlife.

Off the course, we strive to cascade our efforts by strengthening community and business ties by sourcing locally for a greener supply chain, and actively reducing the Club’s carbon footprint.

A Proud Signatory to the Sports for Nature Framework

In August 2024, Bush Hill Park Golf Club became a proud signatory to the Sports for Nature Framework. One of a few golf clubs in the UK to join the initiative, which intends to tap sports’ enormous potential to take on ambitious goals and drive positive change, it marks our commitment to join the global effort to champion nature and contribute to its protection and restoration.

Sports for Nature is a joint initiative of the  International Union for Conservation of NatureInternational Olympic Committee,  United Nations Environment Programme,  Secretariat of the  Convention on Biological Diversity, and  Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy (= S4N Partners).

It aims to deliver transformative action for nature across sports, by 2030 and beyond, enabling sports to champion nature and contribute to its protection and restoration. It provides a game plan for sports — at all levels — to accelerate and inspire others to take action for nature.

The S4N Framework is the main pillar of the initiative. The Framework calls on sports organisations to make measurable contributions to nature and asks them to work towards four principles and linked goals that will help them advance their nature journey. Click on the Bush Hill Park Golf Club Sports for Nature Declaration below to find out more about these four principles.

     Bush Hill Park Golf Club Sports for Nature Declaration

Our Pledge to Sustainable Golf

We are committed to social and environmental responsibility, in and through golf.

We recognise the importance of playing our part to protect and restore nature, conserve resources, take climate action and strengthen communities.

We will seek to use our reach to raise awareness and positive action amongst golfers, partners and the wider public.

We will make an important difference, and help golf become a valued leader in sustainability.


Water, Chemical, and Energy Reduction

On the course, we seek different ways to reduce fungicide usage, which include, different grass species that are more disease resistant, more use of metals such as iron, copper, and manganese in addition to phosphite's, reducing organic matter and increasing the root depths to help make our greens more sustainable.

Our on-site waste to water cleaning system allows us to reduce our water usage by recycling dirty water in a tank for re-use. Harvesting water from the greenkeepers shed to make it require zero mains water supply is under review.

A commitment has been made to undertake a review of the restoration of an ancient pond on the course with the intention of recycling the water to keep our ponds topped up, and to reduce water usage from our borehole.  

When they are of a standard and quality good enough for golf courses, our aim is to incorporate the use of electric machinery. Using hybrid machines will reduce fuel, hydraulic oils, and noise pollution. 

Our electricity supplier was selected for being 100% Certified Green Electricity.

LED lighting has been installed in the greenkeeping shed.

All our golf buggies are electric.


Integrated Turf Management

An Integrated Turf Management (ITM) programme is a holistic approach to maintaining healthy turf by combining various management strategies. This typically includes: 

  • Cultural practices (e.g., aeration, top-dressing, overseeding)
  • Pest and disease management using Integrated Pest Management principles to reduce chemical use
  • Nutrient management - customising fertilisation for soil health and turf requirements
  • Water management - efficient irrigation to prevent disease and conserve resources

The ITM approach aims to promote long-term turf health and sustainability, reducing reliance on chemical interventions and optimising practices to maintain a healthy and resilient turf environment.


Biodiversity and Conservation

With the golf course taking up such a vast quantity of land, our goal is to enhance natural biodiversity where possible to allow pollinators and ecosystems to thrive.

The golf course is home to vital habitats for a diverse and flourishing wildlife population with Egyptian Geese, Swans, Ducks, Moorhens, Coots, Herons, various species of fish, Foxes, Muntjac Deer, Bats, and Badgers.

We create log piles from felled trees, which create a sanctuary of food and shelter for insects particularly threatened stag beetles. They find solace in the damp nooks and crannies a log pile provides, and as the wood decays over time, log piles attract an even greater range of wildlife like badgers, which may otherwise cause damage to the golf course.

Through naturalisation, we allow areas to go wild, introducing wildflowers and grasses to different parts of the golf course, eco areas, and uncut fescue grasses in the spring and summer seasons. Allowing areas of natural vegetation to grow become important for providing valuable food sources and nutrition for wildlife, attracting pollinators such as bumblebees, butterflies, and other insects. These areas contribute to creating an aesthetically pleasing course too!

During the Winter 2023/24 Programme, the Greenkeeping team constructed a bug hotel, as well as bird and bat boxes, utilising upcycled and recovered materials. These structures were then strategically installed across the golf course.

We are currently exploring the possibility of setting up beehives with the support of local professional beekeepers.
 
   Fox-Feeding Policy


Community and Local

Whenever feasible, we prioritise local suppliers. Our kitchen procures ingredients from a nearby butcher, dairy, and vegetable supplier, while the bar is supplied by a local brewery.

Our seasonal menus cater extensively to vegans and vegetarians, featuring a wide selection of options, including a Beyond Meat® offering.

Bike racks have been installed in the carpark.

Waste Management and Reduction

Food waste and kitchen oil are collected for proper disposal.

Recycling receptacles for paper, cardboard, plastic, cans, and glass bottles are conveniently located throughout the Clubhouse.


Purchasing Power

Off the course and into the Pro Shop - all tees, markers, and pitch forks available for sale are made from bamboo.

The Pro Shop also retails a PUMA range made from recycled plastic bottles.

Membership bag tags are made from bamboo and carry accreditation from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and our membership cards have transitioned from plastic to eco-PVC.

In the Clubhouse, single-use plastic water bottles have been replaced with water cartons.  

Sustainable Golf Course Management

The R&A and England Golf campaign to raise golfer awareness of some key issues when it comes to sustainable golf course management can be viewed by topic at the following links below:

1.  Wet conditions at my course

2.  Proactive protection of playing surfaces

3.  Living with leatherjackets

4.  Small creature, big impact

5.  Disease pressures coming into the playing season

6.  Grass is just grass... or, is it?

7.  How wild is 'wild' rough?

8.  Hazard by name but how hazardous by nature?

9.  Driving for  Sustainabilitee

10.  Tree-ing off

11.  Five things every golfer can do to help their greenkeepers

12.  Water scarcity and management






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