Golf and the Environment (30 years of the Golf Environment Awards)
- Stephen Thompson
- 5 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Golf Courses have had a reputation over the years as green deserts, grass cut wall to wall, no good for wildlife and too much use of chemicals and fertilisers, but that is not the case, and they truly are special places where wildlife can thrive. One man, Bob Taylor, had an idea to promote golf courses in a more positive light, and the Golf Environment Awards were born.
I spoke to Bob and asked him some questions about his career, his interests in golf and ecology and his thoughts on the awards and the future of golf:
Can you tell me a bit about yourself, your career to date, and your interests in golf and ecology?
I joined STRI back in 1989, engaged as an agronomist. My interests in ecology soon became apparent, and I was asked to set up a bespoke ecology service for golf. The aim is to educate golfers about the importance of golf courses to wildlife and to show the general public that golf is not a selfish sport or a selfish use of land, but that, in fact, golf courses are nature reserves. My mission was to provide ecological management advice, which continues today under the name Bob Taylor Ecology Ltd. I instigated the Golf Environment Awards to showcase the good work of golf clubs. I helped set up Committed to Green, the forerunner of GEO On Course, and was on the tech advisory committee of the latter during its development. I am still a trusted verifier for GEO ‘On Course’. I have written widely, producing several books, many, many articles over the years, all to get golf engaged. I have provided ecological information for stroke savers and written bespoke books for individual golf clubs. I have designed and installed signage for clubs to showcase what golf can offer the public.
Are Golf Courses any good for wildlife, or are they (as some people suggest) just a load of grass and chemicals?
Wildlife and biodiversity are not just hanging on but are thriving on our golf courses. They offer patch habitats and connectivity through the countryside, allowing wildlife to settle or travel between sites. I know of courses that support otters, which are very secretive mammals. Otter clearly has the choice of the beach or the golf course. They choose the latter because it offers much greater safety, and human disturbance is predictable. Wildlife can habituate to the sedentary movement of golfers, but they cannot live alongside dog walking and the random human disturbance now so common through much of the countryside. Not all golf courses support rare and endangered wildlife, but they can, with appropriate management, conserve a great range of species that are now declining through the dwindling countryside. Think of courses, say, in north London, surrounded by housing but providing much-needed green space, the woodpeckers, warblers, butterflies, and dragonflies, to mention just a few, are dependent on the management provided on these courses. Chemical reliance is a thing of the past on most courses. Some support some of our rarest plant species. This would not be true if chemicals and fertilisers were widely used!
You came up with the idea of the Golf Environment Awards. Can you tell me what the awards are and what gave you the idea in the first place?
The GEAs were initially a collaboration sponsored by Amazone Groundcare. The whole idea was to provide a platform to showcase all that is good about proactive golf clubs and the people who manage them. It was a platform that inspired others to take on the role. It allowed for social interactions and discussions on conservation management.
What advice can you give to greenkeepers and Course managers wanting to improve the golf course as a valuable wildlife habitat, and what improvements do you think could be made to make the whole club more environmentally friendly and sustainable?
Seek advice and learn to understand habitat and conservation management. Start by creating a habitat plan, enabling a species survey, and producing a practical management plan that gives a phased management approach that does not overburden or overly stretch resources. I am still active in helping clubs and would be happy to provide any of this advice.
What do you think the future holds for golf courses in terms of being kinder to the environment? Can golf courses survive as a business if they don't try to become more sustainable?
Being sustainable is not just an aspiration; it is becoming part of the business's ethos. I see golf clubs where the glass is more than half full and those that are half full but positive. These clubs should succeed going forward, as they at least recognise the need for holistic, sustainable management. Contrast that with those clubs whose glass is less than half full, those that are still wondering “what all of the hype is about.” Perhaps we will lose some clubs, but perhaps that will be inevitable. Much will depend on the level of proactivity, understanding, and, indeed, acceptance of sustainable management in its widest sense. I here mean thinking as a collective that includes all heads of department, the Chef, the Pro, the General Manager, the Head Greenkeepers, etc. GEO is a great platform for bringing this all together and progressing as a club.
Operation Pollinator
The Operation Pollinator Awards are conducted alongside the Environment Awards. Established by Syngenta in 2013, this initiative aims to help golf courses across the UK and Ireland create vital refuges for bumblebees and other beneficial insect species. Improving the environment in relatively untouched out-of-play areas can establish highly valuable habitats and enhance biodiversity.
I first attended a short training course in 2011 before establishing our first wildflower area at John o' Gaunt Golf Club in 2012. It was a huge success; all 7 flower species germinated, and we recorded 5 bumblebee species during that summer's survey. (see photo below)
We continued to improve and create other wildflower areas around the course, and in 2017, John O'Gaunt won the Operation Pollinator Award. Check this link to Syngenta's website to see a report on the win. https://www.syngentaturf.co.uk/news/sustainability/golfers-get-see-birds-and-bees
The good work is carrying on with the Operation Pollinator Awards 2026 (extract from the official Syngenta press release)
Pyecombe Golf Club in East Sussex has won the prestigious Syngenta Operation Pollinator Award, presented at the industry’s premier BIGGA Awards ceremony, during BTME Harrogate this week (20 Jan 2026). The coveted Operation Pollinator Awards celebrate and reward industry professionals who dedicate their time and energy to protecting and enhancing the environment.
Pyecombe Golf Club Course Manager, Simon Wells, and his team were praised for their work restoring and creating habitats for pollinating insects, and for managing the course's environs to promote natural ecology and biodiversity on the precious chalk downlands.
Simon and the team have also built strong links with their local community - undertaking guided nature walks for the public, Brownies/Guides, and a local photography club, and hosting conservation seminars for other golf clubs to share advice.
For the full press release, click this link:
Since I started as a greenkeeper in 1990, I have become much more aware of what there is to see on a golf course and have been proactive and passionate about sharing my experiences and promoting golf in a positive light, focusing on the environment, ecology, and conservation.
I keep regular records of what I see, take photos around the course, and have been involved in various projects designed to improve the local biodiversity and the environment around us. As an individual, I was a finalist in the Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year category in 2015, 2016, and 2017, before finally winning in 2018. It was one of the highlights of my career as a Greenkeeper and I was extremely proud that all my hard work had been recognised.
The bad reputation golf courses have had in the past has been slowly dwindling since these awards began, and now, with Operation Pollinator running alongside them, they have both proved pivotal in helping people understand just how valuable a golf course can be for wildlife and the environment. Golf courses can learn from each other through direct contact, social media, and other channels to exchange ideas, share best practices, and truly demonstrate the ecological values a golf course can offer.