Golfklúbbur Mosfellsbæjar

Notable Observations

• Woodland Managed by Dedicated Gardener A full-time gardener is employed to manage woodland areas at the Bakkakot course, removing dead and non-native trees and shrubs. Cleared material is mulched and reused on walking paths.
• Rewilding Through Hole Rerouting Recent rerouting of holes at the Bakkakot course has removed large areas of undergrowth and created a larger contiguous area of unmanaged “wild” land, increasing habitat continuity.
• Breeding Birds Left Undisturbed The club follows a clear policy of not disturbing nesting and breeding birds, and reports increased bird presence compared with 2022.
• Electric Robotic Mowing at Bakkakot Day-to-day mowing at the Bakkakot course is now carried out almost entirely using electric robotic mowers, eliminating routine diesel use in that part of the facility.
• Moisture-Meter-Led Irrigation Irrigation is guided by soil moisture measurements and applied as infrequently as possible. Only a limited number of greens, tees and approaches are irrigated.
• Localised Weather Station for ET Calculations A new on-site weather station provides local evapotranspiration data, improving the accuracy of irrigation timing and volumes.
• Highly Successful Disability Charity Tournament The club hosts a popular annual charity tournament that sells out at around 250 players and raised ISK 35,000,000 to support a camp for children with severe disabilities.
• Open Access and Shared Land Use The course is actively shared with walkers, birdwatchers and horse riders, supported by clear communication and continued public access across the landscape.

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“Golfklúbbur Mosfellsbæjar is still led by Managing Director Ágúst Jensson, now with new Superintendent Bjarni Hannesson. The club was doing many good things in 2022 and are now moving forward with major efforts to improve. The philosophy of protecting nature, encouraging public access, and maintaining the turf with as little water and as few chemicals as possible is still being practiced. The new golf holes at the 9-hole Bakkakot course have reduced disease pressure by taking out non-native vegetation to increase sun exposure and airflow and will also increase the consolidated area of unmaintained “wild” land. The change to only electric robotic mowers for day-to-day maintenance addresses one of the concerns about safe fuel storage at the Bakkakot maintenance shed from the 2022 verification. The renovation of the back nine holes at the 18-hole Hlíðavöllur will address safety issues caused by golf balls being hit into the residential properties surrounding the golf course and will also address water quality issues by adding gentler slopes and vegetative buffers around water bodies. It will also make the public horse and pedestrian paths that intersect with the golf course more visible to golfers and safer for the pedestrians. In addition, a new par-3 course that is proposed will accommodate families, children, seniors, people with disabilities, beginners and those who want to take their first steps in golf and/or play in a shorter time and at lower cost. The club hosts a very popular and profitable charity golf tournament to raise funds for a camp that supports severely disabled children and their families. The local community also enjoys a very popular restaurant that is operated out of the clubhouse. Recycling and composting have increased since the 2022 verification and single-use products are no longer sold. Communication to explain maintenance and sustainability efforts with the membership is frequent. Finally, the club is now considering using sand from the local sewage treatment plant for topdressing. If it proves to be suitable, this material will be free to the club and will not need to be transported to be landfilled, as it currently is. Golfklúbbur Mosfellsbæjar has become busier and more popular in the last three years. Given this, the club is making decisions and major investments to continuously improve the sustainability and accessibility of its operations and facilities so that it may remain a very positive asset for the local environment and community.”

Matthew Schiffer (GEO accredited independent verifier)