Golf Club Lausanne

Notable Observations

• Biodiversity Surveys Guide Management A series of biodiversity studies has been carried out across the course, covering amphibians, bats, butterflies, dragonflies, birds and insects. The club also draws on the expertise of a member active with environmental organisations including Pro Natura and BirdLife when developing nature projects.
• Expanding Native Habitats More areas of maintained grass have been converted to ecological areas, while habitat creation includes deadwood, around 10 brush piles and two stone piles. More than 300 native shrubs were planted with BirdLife in 2024, alongside additional fruit trees, a chestnut grove, climate-adapted woodland planting and new nesting boxes through a biodiversity project with Swiss Golf.
• Targeted Wildlife Conservation The course has installed nesting boxes for swallows and other birds, added five bat boxes and maintains six bee homes. A pond has also been created for frogs and other amphibians, while practical measures include protecting young frogs during hatching periods and preventing amphibians from being flushed from another pond during strong storm events.
• Precision Water Management Soil-moisture sensors and a weather station are used to guide irrigation, while the system allows individual sprinkler heads to be controlled for targeted watering. The club is also trialling reduced irrigation on one fairway, maintaining soil moisture at 8–10% to compare its playability with other fairways.
• Data-Led, Lower-Input Turf Management The proportion of Agrostis on greens is being increased to reduce water and fungicide requirements, while around 85% of fertiliser is organic. Clippings are analysed using software developed by a member of the greenkeeping team, and fungicide use has been reduced so that only greens now receive applications; the club is also testing selective treatment technology with Ecorobotix.
• Lower-Carbon Course Operations Thirteen robotic mowers are now used across all fairway surfaces, alongside three hybrid fairway mowers. The club also has existing solar panels on the maintenance building, replaced its clubhouse oil-fired boiler with a pellet boiler in 2022, and has installed six EV charging stations.
• Biodiversity Tours and Interpretation The club organises guided course tours for new members and other interested participants, explaining features such as prairies, orchards, native planting, beehives, dead trees and ponds. Interpretation boards around the course also explain the habitats that have been created and their ecological value and function.
• Member and Community Engagement Members have been invited to fund new native trees to enhance habitat and biodiversity, while the club also organises charitable events each year. It has additionally held meetings with local municipalities to present its biodiversity work and discuss opportunities for future collaboration.

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“Lausanne has continued to increase their sustainability performance since 2021, most notably through additional flora and fauna surveys and a number of biodiversity and planting projects across the golf course. They have also made steps to reduce resources like water, fertilizer and plant protection products as well as changing from oil to pellet boilers. Furthermore, the club is organising half-day tours for new members to explain their biodiversity projects and discuss their commitment to sustainable management. I look forward to following their evolution in the coming years, including projects to increase communication and connection with the local community.”

David Bily (GEO accredited independent verifier)