Dundonald Links Best Environmental Performance

Dundonald Links has received the ‘Best Environmental Performance Award’ at the recent Ayrshire Business Awards. Over 260 business leaders from Ayrshire and beyond attended the annual awards ceremony which recognises the best performing companies in Ayrshire. The event was held at the Gailes Hotel, Irvine where the BBC’s Kaye Adams presented the awards.

The ‘Best Environmental Performance Award’ award, sponsored by Nestle (worlds leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company), has been designed for organisations that demonstrate environmental best practice, ethical best practice or sustainable development. In order to qualify for the final selection process, Dundonald Links was invited to demonstrate these practices and to explain the impact that these initiatives have had on the company.

Dundonald competed with two major employers in Scotland, McCaig Renewable and Lowmac Recycling, for the award.

Bill Donald, General Manager, Loch Lomond Golf Club and Dundonald Links, commented:

“This is a tremendous achievement for the team at Dundonald Links and is testament to all their hard work and commitment in ensuring that the golf course is maintained to the very highest of standards with environmental best practice always in mind.”

The club website also features an environmental policy.

Dundonald Links is committed to the implementation of a wide range of proactive measures, to help protect, and sustain, the local, national, and global environment, and strives for continual improvement of its environmental management systems.

Our Vision

To provide players with an authentic and distinctive links land experience by using best environmental practices and policies.

Our aim is to:

• Minimise waste, working towards zero waste
• Minimise energy consumption
• Protect and enhance biodiversity
• Maximise the Club’s role to provide the public with knowledge of ongoing environmental issues
• Inspire others to pursue sustainable resources

For further information, please contact Guy Redford, Director of Golf, Dundonald Links

T: 01294 314000 or E: guy.redford@dundonaldlinks.com

Turnberry and their iWine List!

It's been repoerted in the Scottish papers as the world's most expensive menu. The West Coast Golf Links golf resort of Turnberry has decided to use iPads for the wine menu instead of traditional paper and leather bound versions!

Turnberry is trialling the product for the wine list in its fine dining restaurant and plans to extend the concept to its other restaurants and bars by the end of the year all owing their guests to use the obvious benefits of inbuilt  search tools to find out more about their wine.

Ralph Porciani, director of operations at Turnberry, said: "We've seen this in the States for a while and it improves and enriches the experience of choosing from a menu. The ability to combine images, with more colourful background information on the product - be it the wine maker or the grapes - is incredibly satisfying for guests and gives them a far more informed choice."

"Around 60 per cent of our guests wander around with an iPad already tucked under their arm. So it is a technology which is very useable and very familiar to many people."

In other countries where the iPad has been used instead of a menu, restaurants have claimed a rise in turnover from diners finding their ordering inhibitions are lifted when ordering direct, rather than via waiters.

The trend began in the US shortly after the launch of the tablet devices last year. The technology used in some American restaurants allows staff to communicate with customers through email-style messages, suggesting, for example, that they may be ready to buy another drink - and also pay for their meals through the device using an in-built swipe card slot.

Another first for one of Ayrshire's West VCoast Golf Links

Scottish Amateur Heads for West Coast Links

Troon Welbeck’s Michael Stewart heads into this week’s Scottish Amateur Championship which is being held at the West Coast Links gem of Western Gailes between the 25 and 30th of July aiming to become the first golfer for twenty-eight years to successfully defend the title.

The 21-year-old, who defeated Fraserburgh’s Jordan Findlay 3 and 2 in the final at Gullane twelve months ago, has enjoyed another superb season, winning the South African Amateur Championship in February before narrowly losing the final of The Amateur Championship at Hillside last month.

Legendary amateur Charlie Green was the last man to win back-to-back titles in 1982-83 and Stewart is relishing the prospect of retaining the championship in his native Ayrshire, believing he is a vastly improved player a year on from his East Lothian win.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of defending the title as it’s been a while since anyone’s achieved that. There will obviously be some extra pressure on me but I seem to thrive on that and play some of my best golf in pressure situations, as I did in some of my close matches last year,” said Stewart, who is eyeing a place in the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup side to face the United States in September.

“All aspects of my game have improved since my win at Gullane and I would say I’m definitely a better golfer. The SGU squad training over the winter was of real benefit and the win in South Africa and my run in The Amateur Championship was great for my confidence. It will be nice playing at home in Ayrshire and I’m excited about the week ahead.” he added.

Scotland’s 256 leading amateur golfers representing 150 different clubs will descend on the Western Gailes links, which last hosted the championship in 2002 when Andrew McArthur defeated Scott Jamieson in a keenly contested final, before both players went on to compete on the European Tour.

The last Ayrshireman to win on home soil, was from another West Coast Links course, Barassie’s Jim Milligan in 1988.

Action gets underway on Monday morning at 0645 with 128 ties being played over the first two days. The 36-hole final will take place on Saturday 30 July with 0830 and 1300 tee-times. Live scoring and updates will be available throughout the week here on the SGU's website.



You can find out how you can play Western Gailes and the rest of Scotland's West Coast Golf Links courses on the website

Golf and Bed and Breakfast Ayrshire

A new collaboration has been set up in Ayrshire to help promote and develop the bed and breakfast marketplace to Ayrshire. The group calling themselves ABBA is being promoted via their new website with information on more than three dozen B & B's across Ayrshire.

Last year B & B owners were invited to a meeting hosted by Ayrshire Business Gateway where more than 30 owners met and voted in favour of forming such an association. A working committee was formed to devise ways forward such as sourcing funding, web design and promotion of local attractions. They have since had discussions with Business Gateway, South Ayrshire Council, VisitScotland, Ayrshire’s Tourism Forum, the Ayrshire and Arran Hoteliers Association and also the Ayrshire Food Network who have all been very supportive of the venture.

Essentially the aim is to publicise what Ayrshire has to offer in order to encourage people to come and enjoy their stay so that they want to come back again.

If you are interested in joining ABBA or for more information please contact any of the following Ayrshire B & B Association Committee Members through the ABBA website

The Dormie House in Prestwick is already an associate member of Scotland's West Coast Golf Links offering a high quality bed and breakfast property in close proximity to the wonderful Prestwick Links. Peter has some great golf deals throughout the summer so have a look at The Dormie House website where you can book his best rates directly online.

Dundonald Games Golf Links Swings into Action

Entries are now being accepted for the inaugural Dundonald Games Links Golf Day. This unique eighteen hole handicap stableford event is open to both ladies and gents and will be played over the magnificent Dundonald Links golf course in Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland just 24 hours ahead of the annual Dundonald Games on Friday 5th of August.

A website specifically for the event has been created by joint sponsors Plan B and visitors can book their accommodation online courtesy of Bookasssist.

Entry forms can be downloaded or you can go reserve your fourball online and pay by Cheque or even PayPal.

For those who just want to play great Ayrshire golf you could hardly do better than play 18 holes over the magnificent Kyle Phillips layout at Dundonald. The course is a wonderful challenge but remains a fair test of all golfing abilities with fast, three club greens, some wonderul pot bunkers, an abundance of dunes and some of the best laid out holes in Scotland.

The day is about enjoyment and added to the golf you will have access to the practice area and free range balls as well as Nearest the Pin, Longest Drive and the handicap stableford event - if you don't have an official handicap there are limited spaces available just to enjoy the course.

Entry is currently strictly limited to 60 golfers and it is sure to be subscribed very quickly so don’t hesitate to get your application in. You can reserve a single or a discounted fourball and pay by debit or credit card.
 

And the Kilted Part?
Well first off it’s not obligatory but we thought that given that it’s an official part of the Annual Dundonald Games week and the day before the games itself we’d add a little bit of fun and offer players the opportunity to compete in their kilt with a special commemorative Targe being presented to the winner of, we believe, Scotland's very first Kilted Golf Classic.

We look forward to welcoming you to both the Links and the Games and perhaps an extended stay in the Ayrshire area.