Bush Hill Park Golf Club

Notable Observations

• Supporting Protected Species in a Compact Urban Setting Despite being on just 100 acres in North London, the club supports notable wildlife including stag beetles (a protected species), badgers, and green woodpeckers, with deadwood piles, buffer zones, and habitat enhancements in place.
• Member-Led Wildlife Recording and Courses A resident wildlife photographer helps build a biodiversity record, and the club has run wildlife courses for members — a creative way to engage the community in ecological awareness.
• Participation in Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Inventory The club is actively involved in mapping its veteran and ancient trees through the national Woodland Trust inventory, helping to quantify carbon sequestration potential and preserve historic landscape features.
• Fully Automated Irrigation with Borehole Supply The club uses a borehole with a summer-only abstraction licence and a new automated irrigation system to limit watering to greens and tees, reducing waste and allowing tight control over water use.
• Smart Turf Management Using Weather Station Data A newly installed weather station is used to monitor temperature, evapotranspiration, and surface conditions. This helps the greenkeeping team fine-tune nutrient input, disease prevention, and irrigation timing — reducing unnecessary treatments and saving resources.
• Inclusive Coaching for Underrepresented Youth The club runs targeted coaching and mentoring for underprivileged and underrepresented schoolchildren, and was an early adopter of the Golf Foundation’s “Unleash Your Drive” programme.
• Outdoor Wellness Programme with Nuffield Health A unique partnership with Nuffield Health offers weekly Pilates, yoga, and low-impact outdoor exercise sessions for both members and the public, improving access to green space and physical activity.
• Strong Local Charity Involvement with Over £10,000 Raised Annually The club’s Captain’s Charity raises more than £10,000 each year and supports a wide range of local causes through events, golf prizes, and the use of facilities — including a recent night hike fundraiser.

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“Bush Hill Park Golf Club demonstrated a high level of enthusiasm and pride in their sustainability progress. I noted a noticeable determination and commitment to embedding sustainable working through all areas of the facility. The golf course itself is tightly fitted into just 100acres of parkland and is surrounded by the North London and Enfield conurbations. Even with such a tight course, space is being made for nature. The club have set aside areas of grassland now benefitting local wildlife including green woodpecker which was recorded on the day of my visit. Woodlands and veteran trees add to the habitat mosaic as do the water features which increase overall biodiversity. The club were keen to explore and take on my suggestions for further biodiversity enhancement. The club comply with all required legislation showing a proactive response to fuel and chemical storage. The club are working to ensure grass species are conducive to site conditions. Management gives a high level of effort towards ensuring grass health/condition and consequently disease reduction. The club also understand the waste hierarchy and are keen to continue acting as an exemplar in this area of management. Resource efficiency was discussed at length and again is an area of particular interest to the club. One of several highlights noted during the visit included the club’s commitment to encouraging under privileged and underrepresented groups. This involves coaching and mentoring opportunities to break down barriers and perceptions associated with the sport. Openness and inclusivity were clearly visible. The club within has built a very strong social membership of over 300 local members who benefit from all the facilities the club has to offer. The improvement points I have included are offered to help the club progress further. Possibly, by way of their inclusion in a sustainability management plan that can be shared with heads of Department and progressed through to the next review. No CIPs were identified as critical or immediate but more to enable thought towards continued progression.”

Bob Taylor (GEO accredited independent verifier)