Gleneagles celebrates eco award

Golf fans from this side of the Atlantic will attempt to bathe it in the blue and gold of Europe when the Ryder Cup takes place there in September but, right now, Gleneagles is being celebrated for its green credentials.

The host club for this year’s match between Europe and the USA has achieved GEO Certified, the golf industry ‘eco-label’ that recognises significant contributions in environmental enhancement, resource efficiency, and community engagement.

The Perthshire resort got the certification after demonstrating its environmental consciousness in a range of ways, including:

• Installation of woodchip powered biomass boiler, providing 74% of hotel heating and hot water;

• Achieving over 70% re-use and re-cycling of materials, with Zero Waste Plan in place;

• Obtaining all residual electricity supply from specified low carbon supply sources;

• Ensuring efficient irrigation, sourced primarily from natural drainage and closely monitored on-site wetlands;

• Carefully planned management of over 30 hectares of heathland, gorse, broom, woodlands, bracken and grassland to maintain optimal conditions for key species (68% of the golf course area is either natural or semi-natural habitat);

“The outstanding landscape is central to the quality of the Gleneagles experience” – Bernard Murphy, Gleneagles’ general manager

• Encouraging natural regeneration of Scots pine woodland plus further regular planting of native trees;

• Protection of the ancient ‘Beeches Brig’ avenue of trees, designated by Historic Scotland;

• Supporting the Local Biodiversity Action Plan to protect and enhance red squirrel habitats;

• Support of Perthshire Big Tree Country, with a discretionary charge of £1 for every room night in the hotel being donated to this charity’s ongoing efforts to conserve Perthshire’s heritage trees and woodlands

• Providing direct employment for over 800 staff members (with 54 employed on the golf courses and estate).

Commenting on the award, Gleneagles’ general manager Bernard Murphy commented: “The outstanding landscape is central to the quality of the Gleneagles experience, and in recent years we have worked hard on innovative ways to use as many renewable resources as efficiently as possible.

“In addition, we are always looking for ways to bring as many direct and indirect benefits as possible to the community. We are extremely proud to have attained this accolade, which also motivates us to go on to do even more in the years to come.”

Gleneagles: A ‘green’ resort

Gleneagles achieving GEO Certified is another feather in the cap of the Ryder Cup Green Drive, a multi-partner initiative led by Ryder Cup Europe and supported by the Scottish Government. Click here for more.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor