Royal Dornoch have officially launched their bee project as part of their environmental activity.
The Highland club have added hives on the renowned links to help with the work of the valuable insect.
The bees and hives – and their continued upkeep – have been generously sponsored by member George Lengvari in memory his father.
George’s father, George Lengvari Sr, excelled in the art of beekeeping at Cromarty House in nearby Cromarty and eventually earned Master Beekeeper’s Certificate #249 from the Scottish Beekeepers Association in 1950.
Royal Dornoch are active in promoting sustainable golf and working with GEO (Golf Environment Organisation), with the bee project part of this activity.
The hives help the bees to thrive and builds on work across the Championship and Struie Courses in creating areas for wildlife to allow the environment to flourish.
Neil Hampton, General Manager at Royal Dornoch, said: “We perhaps take bees granted and many of us don’t realise the huge amount of work they do to ensure that the ecology of the world is stable.
“At Royal Dornoch we take the future very seriously and want to ensure that the planet is safe to inhabit for many for generations to come and this is just another part of what we are doing to achieve that.”
George added: “There is nothing my father would have been prouder of than for Royal Dornoch to recognize the importance of bees and the invaluable role they play in ensuring the health and sustainability of much of our planet’s vegetation. As he would have said, ‘without bees there can be no life as we know it'”.
Last month, Royal Dornoch became officially GEO Certified after receiving their certification. Course Manager, Eoin Riddell, and his team are working hard in this area on and off the courses.
“GEO covers everything to do with running a golf club, not just the course,” said Eoin. “It deals with the clubhouse, the kitchen, the Pro Shop and other areas. For example, using reusable bottles or using local produce to keep down the carbon footprint of deliveries. We are trying to protect the golf course but doing it in an environmentally sensitive manner.
“It has now become a big thing in golf, with the whole industry working harder in this area. We do try and work with the environment and try and help it as much as we can.”
