Environment
At Coventry Golf Club we take our responsibility for environmental stewardship seriously. For many years we have taken actions to conserve and enhance the natural environment and reduce our use of resources. This is all aimed at improving the golfing experience for our members and visitors.
We are proud to be the first golf club in England to achieve the prestigious, international Golf Environment Organisation (GEO) award in 2012 and recertification in 2015 and most recently in June 2019.
Richard Allison Manager of GEO said:
“We are delighted to be able to confirm that Coventry Golf Club has successfully achieved GEO Certified® status once again for its outstanding work to foster nature, conserve resources and support the community. Many congratulations to you and the team on this thoroughly deserved achievement!”
Diverse Parkland Golf Course
Our parkland course supports a range of man-made and semi natural wooded, grassland and wetland habitats. It consists of managed grassland, together with substantial areas of woodland (broad-leaf, coniferous and mixed).
The River Sowe flows along the northern and eastern boundaries of the course and there is a natural buffer along most of its length that provides a wide range of habitats. Several ponds are distributed throughout the course that support submerged or marginal aquatic species.The woodlands and the pond network function together in supporting both terrestrial and breeding habitat for a population of great crested newts.
The range of woodland habitats provide excellent opportunities for bats and breeding birds.
Over 70 species of birds have been recorded on the course including song thrush, redwing, field fare, lapwing, starling, skylark, dunlin, all of which are on the RSBP list of conservation concern.
Over the years members have donated funds to provide over 40 boxes aimed at encouraging Bats, Owl, Kestrels, Robins and Tits.
Wildlife Links
We value our corporate membership of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (WWT). WWT play a key role, enabling us to understand the wide-ranging habitats on the course and the simple, practical steps we could take to protect and enhance those habitats.
In partnership with WWT we have installed an Otter Holt on the banks of the River Sowe and included a motion camera. Videos from the camera are edited and provided to club members, the latest video can be viewed at:
The species recorded on the video include: Otter, badger, muntjac, roe deer, stoat, shrew and foxes.
We take part in Operator Pollinator and as well as providing insect boxes around the course, working with WWT we have created a wild flower meadow to the left of our 11th tee box that contains a wide mixture of wild grasses and flowers that include: Yellow Rattle, Meadow Buttercup, Oxeye Daisy, Foxglove and Birdsfoot Trefoil.
Business Sense
We have shown that good environmental practice makes good business sense by adopting schemes that reuse water and generate electricity, thereby significantly reducing costs. We have an excellent relationship with our neighbours, Severn Trent Water, and for many years we have used final treated effluent water from their adjacent sewage treatment works, that would otherwise be discharged to the River Sowe, to irrigate our greens.
Our use of water is controlled by a computerised irrigation system that ensures that only the right amount of water is used.Back in 2010, we commissioned a report on energy saving proposals. As a result, the club has invested in a more efficient boiler and air conditioning, low energy light fittings, motion sensors, improved insulation and installation of Photovoltaic cells on the club house roof. As a consequence, we have significantly reduced our consumption of energy, putting over 3,000 kwh into the national grid and saving around £8,000 a year.
We produce 120 tonnes of waste a year of which 21 tonnes are recycled. We are conscious that we can do more to minimise our waste production, in particular food waste and single use plastics.
Much has been achieved over the years, not only to enhance the playing experience of members and guests but to reduce our environmental liabilities and business costs. We are totally committed to continuing our proud record of being one of the most environmentally sustainable golf clubs in the UK.
Active Membership
At Coventry Golf Club we have an active Environment Group who work with the club Committees to deliver sustainability initiatives. If you want to get involved in enhancing the experience for members and visitors through creating a better place, speak to the secretary, you will be made most welcome.
John Claridge, a long standing member says “I love the variety of trees on the course, their shapes, colours and blossom make playing golf here so, so enjoyable, even when the ball is not going where I want it to go!”
Jeanette Grimston said: “I consider myself very lucky to have such a strong & committed team at Coventry Golf Club looking after the environment on our behalf”
