Oct1 waterboost

Shropshire’s forward-thinking Cleobury Mortimer Golf Club has put into place a drive for “green values” after teeing up the installation of a state-of-the-art solar water heating system.

The eco-friendly solar panels are being fitted to the clubhouse roof at 600-member Cleobury Mortimer GC and have been funded by Advantage West Midlands’ Rural Regeneration Zone as part of the Low Carbon Communities for Business project.

Owners at the club, located between Kidderminster and Ludlow, were awarded a £3,500 grant for the scheme after showing their commitment to the fight against global warming.

It will mean that after golfers have putted out on the 18th, they can show their commitment to energy efficiency by showering in water heated up mainly by natural resources, boosted by some pre-heating from the club’s Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply.

The club’s co-owner Graham Pain said: “Golf has an image problem in that some people don’t think courses are good for the environment. I have strived to go some way to dispelling that myth by planting 25,000 trees on our course as well as building water hazards to encourage wildlife to the area. I am running a green company looking to handle itself in a sensible way.”

“Advantage West Midlands’ Rural Regeneration Zone has played a vital role in ensuring the purchase of the solar panels. They should be particularly useful in the hot summer months when many members like a shower after a round of golf.

“Furthermore, another major boost of installing the panels is that they will slash about £1,000 a year from our gas bill!”