STRI, the specialist consultancy for golf course design, development and ecology, has announced the twelve finalists of the 2015 Golf Environment Awards.
The STRI Golf Environment Awards highlight effective and sustainable projects being managed by individual golf courses across the UK and reward the individuals that are making real improvements to their local and wider environment.
The 2015 awards continue with the new format introduced last year, with three winning categories; Environmental Golf Course of the Year; Conservation Greenkeeper Award and Outstanding Environmental Project of the Year.
The 2015 finalists are:
Environmental Golf Course of the Year
- Royal St David’s Golf Club
- Carnoustie Golf Links
- Lee Park Golf Club
- Hankley Common Golf Club
Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year
- John Kelly – Royal Birkdale Golf Club
- Paul Mills – Penn Golf Club
- Stephen Thompson – John O’Gaunt Golf Club
- Stephen Clark – Spalding Golf Club
Outstanding Environmental Project of the Year
- Hockley Golf Club
- St Andrews Links – Castle Course
- Royal Jersey Golf Club
- Prestbury Golf Club
The winners of the three coveted awards will be revealed at an awards dinner ceremony on Wednesday 21 January 2015 at the Hotel du Vin in Harrogate and will each receive the ‘trip of a lifetime’ to Europe with the chance to visit some of the world’s leading golf facilities and sites of specific ecological interest.
The awards are sponsored by the following companies, who are committed to supporting and promoting proven sustainable projects within golf clubs – Ransomes Jacobsen, Farmura, Tillers Turf, Wiedenmann, Syngenta, Greenkeeping, Golf Monthly, Operation Pollinator and BIGGA.
The finalists were selected following a rigorous inspection of 24 UK golf clubs by STRI’s team of experts, with each entry judged on their distinct environmental accomplishments and outcomes.
Bob Taylor, STRI’s Senior Ecology & Environment Consultant, said: “The quality of entries was again outstanding this year and it is getting harder to select the finalists, as all the clubs we visited are committed to improving environmental conditions on their golf courses.
“It is encouraging to see from all the entries just how many golf clubs are now focusing on ecological and wildlife management as part of their day-to-day course management. All this year’s finalists have shown an excellent level of commitment and energy in delivering first class courses whilst successfully enhancing their own local environment at the same time.”
Originally launched in 1997, the awards are managed and administered by STRI with support from Justin Rose, the US Open Championship 2013 winner and official ambassador of the Golf Environment Awards.
STRI (previously Sports Turf Research Institute) www.stri.co.uk