Eyemouth Golf Club to install waterless composting toilet

A coastal golf club in the Scottish Borders has received approval to install a composting toilet on its golf course.

Scottish Borders Council has approved the plans to site the toilet on land south east of the 13th hole pond at Eyemouth Golf Course at Gunsgreenhill.

The plan is to install an eco-friendly WooWoo Waterless Toilet, offering an off-grid sanitation system that does not use mains water or standard sewage connections.

Systems of this kind work by capturing waste in a sealed container beneath the toilet seat, where a combination of airflow and, in some designs, gentle heat allows liquid to evaporate while solid waste breaks down naturally.

Once a container is full, it is swapped for an empty one and left to complete the composting process, eventually producing a safe, soil-like material that can be used as mulch. Because the system relies on natural processes rather than a flush, no water, electricity or sewer connection is required, making it well suited to remote parts of a course where installing standard plumbing would be costly or impractical.

For golf clubs, that combination of qualities has made waterless toilets an increasingly popular option for on-course facilities. Providing toilets away from the clubhouse has become a growing priority for clubs looking to be more inclusive, particularly for women golfers, who cannot rely on discreetly using the rough in the way that has long been common practice among men.

With no need to dig trenches for water or waste pipes, composting units can also be installed relatively quickly and cheaply compared with conventional facilities, while running costs and maintenance demands remain low once in place.

Several golf clubs around the world have installed toilets like this, which are driven by wind and, in some models, solar-powered fans, which constantly draw air down through the toilet and out through a vent stack, which both evaporates liquid waste and prevents odour building up inside the cabin. The Icelandic club Golfklúbbur Borgarness, which installed a similar unit, specifically praised this: their CEO said “it does not maintain smell at all which is a huge thing for us as a high-class golf course.”

In his report approving the application, SBC planning officer Paul Duncan said: “Information online indicates that the composting toilet would operate ‘waterless’. There should be no adverse impact to the local environment and no likely significant effects to designated sites.”

Eyemouth Golf Club is unique in the Scottish Borders as the only course on the coast, set on the cliff tops of the Berwickshire coastline, and is one of the few clubs in the area able to offer round-the-year golf.