One of the country’s largest pay and play golf operators, Mytime Active, has made a decisive move to raise its environmental credentials with the introduction of a bee and wildflower package on its courses, which is available exclusively from Sherriff Amenity.

It is one of the ‘first’ in the amenity turf sector and a concerted effort by the leading supplier to boost the contribution of bees to the golf course environment.

Orpington Golf Centre’s head greenkeeper Gavin Free with his newly installed bee lodge.

Orpington Golf Centre in Kent, one of 19 Mytime Active clubs, was one of the Group’s first to install a Beepol villa and hive to establish a bumble bee community in the course surrounds. 

Mytime Active’s regional course manager, Tom Kenny, responsible for the well-being of all of the Group’s southern courses, has actively encouraged investment in one or other of the two bee/wildflower packages provided by Sherriff Amenity and is delighted that several are already in place. 

“Mytime Active is very keen to be seen to be wholeheartedly doing its bit for the environment,” he said. “The Sherriff Amenity bee packages are a very practical means of contributing something.”

Courses have the choice of Beepol Lodge and hive, plus solitary bee ‘hotel’ and five 400g units of wild flower seed, effective over areas up to 5,000 square metres, or Beepol Villa, two solitary bee ‘hotels’, and 4kg of wild flower seed, effective over areas up to 10,000 square metres.

Orpington Golf Centre, which opted for the latter, is one of the largest public course areas in the south-east covering nearly a square mile in all and before it was built in the late 1970s was covered by fruit and vegetable farmland. Bumble bees, vital for pollination and flora well-being, could be said to be coming home because of what the greenkeeping team there are now doing.

“The bumble bee is an endangered species, yet the cornerstone of environmental survival,” said Sherriff’s James Watson, with over all responsibility for the supplier’s service to Mytime Active as well as the launch of the bee and wildflower packages.

“We’ve had a supply agreement with the Group for over three years and this is a very worthwhile extension of that. Both the packages we offer are designed to improve the local environment around the golf course and I know that Mytime Active head greenkeepers are keen to get them working for them. 

“Installation is very easy and can be done by without specialist help. Clubs are told specifically when delivery will be made, so there’s no risk of a package being un-opened or ignored.” 

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriffamenity.com

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