Environmental Golf Courses #7 – Auchterarder Golf Club, Scotland

Established in 1892 near a small town in rural Scotland, the Auchterarder Golf Club is a leader in energy efficiency, according to the Golf Environment Organization.

After a 2007 energy audit, the club decided to switch to renewable energy sources—primarily hydropower. (Read more on the country’s hydro infrastructure.) Energy efficiency measures include better insulating windows, energy meters, low-energy lighting, electric golf carts, and ride-sharing incentives for employees.

Energy savings have also come from landscape changes. The club reduced its carbon footprint when it converted manicured turf areas to grassland and forest that require less irrigation (and energy) and fewer chemical inputs. Fertilizer applications, which take a fair amount of energy to produce, have been limited to three or four times a season at tees and once a year on the fairway.

Tasha Eichenseher (source – National Geographic – “National Geographic News series on global water issues.“