On Thursday May 25, 2023, Pat Sawers (Lord Lieutenant of Angus), Brian Boyd, Provost of Angus and Councillor David Cheape planted the 1000th sapling into the ground on The Carnoustie Buddon Course. In attendance was Michael Wells (chief executive of Carnoustie Golf Links), Craig Boath (head of sustainability at Carnoustie Golf Links), Simon Inger and Steven Reid (Seagreen) and local children from Carlogie and Burnside schools.
In 2018 Carnoustie Golf Links began working with Seagreen, a joint venture project between SSE Renewables and TotalEnergies, on a development that will provide Scotland, and the wider UK, with critical green infrastructure and will become Scotland’s largest and the world’s deepest offshore wind farm, helping to meet Scotland’s net-zero targets and tackle climate change. Part of this project required Carnoustie to fell or transplant 200 trees from the route along the new cables. In agreement with Angus Council, Carnoustie Golf Links were required to re-plant one tree for every tree that was felled. The Links then went one step further, not only committing to replacing all trees felled, but to plant a total of 1,000 new trees across the courses.
Craig Boath, head of sustainability at Carnoustie Golf Links said: “We are dedicated to contributing to the natural environment of our courses. With an abundance of wildlife calling the Links ‘home’, we want to make sure that we both protect what we already have and enhance the eco-system for the future. Although there were a few delays on the way, the Seagreen Project felt a very natural opportunity to combine with and deliver our own planting project.”
The new trees at the Links will offset approx. 1,610 tonnes of carbon over their lifetime of roughly 40 years, helping the Links on their way to achieving their ambition of becoming a Carbon Net-Zero organisation.
Michael Wells, chief executive of Carnoustie Golf Links said: “Carnoustie Golf Links is dedicated to doing the right thing for our local community and the natural habitats that surround us. We took a big step this year in appointing the brand-new role of head of sustainability, a position focused on ensuring that we are doing all that we can to protect and enhance our environment. This tree planting project is one that the whole team have got behind, with many of our staff helping in the planting efforts and leaving a small but significant legacy on the Links.”
Seagreen’s onshore project manager, Steven Reid added: “We have formed a good partnership with Carnoustie Golf Links as we have tried to minimise the impact and disturbance felt during the construction works of Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm, Seagreen. We’re pleased to have helped contribute to the number of trees being planted across the course at Carnoustie and to the overall ecology of the Golf Links as part of our project works.”
Carnoustie once again aims to lead the way, this time in the sustainability aspect of the business. The new Head of Sustainability role is a first for Carnoustie, and a rare position within the sport of golf.
