GOLF ECOLOGY TOP STORIES Golf courses can save birds Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Fescue to the Rescue Toro on the road 2009 Turnberry praises Toro equipment Glen Lodge switches to John Deere

Chart Hills becomes water self sufficient

A Kent golf club has been applauded for its water self-sufficiency.

At a time when drought orders, hosepipe bans and a drastic cut in domestic sprinkler usage have made national headlines, Chart Hills Golf Club has been praised by Southern Water.

Reacting to news of Chart Hills' totally self-sufficient means of irrigating its championship golf course in Biddenden without any need of a supply from the mains, a spokesman said: "Southern Water greatly appreciates any efforts made by companies and domestic customers alike who save water during this time of drought."

Chart Hills, home of the Ladies' English Open, employs an efficient series of reservoirs, ponds and ditches to feed its irrigation system and keep the course in top condition – without the need to draw on the resources of the mains supply.

Neil Lowther, who has been the course manager at Chart Hills for almost five years, explained: “Rainwater runs into the main holding lake at Chart Hills, which occupies around two acres. From there it is pumped into our irrigation lake and out through the sprinklers and onto the course.

“Most of the course was designed in such a way that it provides rainfall catchment which runs off into pipe drains and ditches around the course. Less than half of the water from the pipes and the ditches ends up in the irrigation lake, the rest flows into a natural water course which runs through Chart Hills.

"We can't and don't extract directly from the water course, and the ponds and lakes we have play no part in filling our reservoir so we are not affecting the water table. The reservoir is filled purely by rainwater and we have no need for water from the mains supply."

Chart Hills is one of four high quality golf clubs owned by the Leaderboard Group – with similar eco-friendly and self-sufficiency water initiatives in place at its other centres around the south of England .

Rod Park , the general manager at Chart Hills, said: “The golf course was intentionally designed with surface drainage in mind, and the result is that we don't need to buy water from Southern Water.

"As a course and as a group, we are totally self-sufficient – and proud of it."

For more information about Chart Hills, please call 01580 292222, or visit www.charthills.co.uk .

March 2, 2009