natural limestone grasslands, rich in wildflowers that include early purple orchids, cowslips, ox-eye daisy and horseshoe vetch (where you might just spot a Chalkhill Blue, an extremely rare species of butterfly). In amongst the large expanse of ancient woodland you will find Roe and Muntjack deer, badgers, foxes, and green and great spotted woodpeckers. Look to the skies and you will see buzzards, sparrowhawks and kestrels. It is a wildlife paradise that Paul is keen to preserve, and he follows the guidance laid out in a document produced in association with The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. The course now has numerous bird boxes, attracting various species, including owls, which are checked and recorded annually.
The course also has a number of
water features that provide a wonderful wildlife corridor for many water loving birds, particularly coots, moorhen, ducks, dippers, herons and the beautiful kingfisher. Mature woodland dominates the course with many plantations of ash, oak and field maple. The maples are of exceptional size, constituting a notable feature. There are also several elm trees and mature holly trees. The shrub layer includes willow, hazel, elder, spindle and hawthorn. The ground flora includes ancient woodland indicator plants such as wood anemone, enchanters nightshade and violets. Paul has overseen many
improvements to the facilities, including the design and build of the new workshops, mess rooms and storage sheds. He believes that a tidy, organised machine shed is essential in
modern day course management, especially with machinery being the biggest investment at any golf club. Having plenty of room for storage and, more importantly, adequately equipped repair facilities, is essential to maintain reliability and value in terms of operational performance. Paul has a full time mechanic who looks after all the machinery needs of the club, ensuring mechanical breakdowns are kept to a minimum and all are operating at peak efficiency. The club hold a good stock of spares to ensure downtime is kept to a minimum. The club have just purchased two new John Deere Triples, John Deere CX Gator, Toro 450-D semi-rough mower and an electric Gator. Last year the club also invested in forty-six new EZ-GO Electric Buggies which, along with the E-Gator, is very much in keeping with
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