Government’s wildlife advisors have positively promoted change throughout the industry
course that alerted spectators to a skylark by the sixth fairway, a common lizard, brown hare and hen harrier at the ninth and pied wagtail, wheatear and spotted flycatcher on the eighteenth – not forgetting the lizard orchids at the first tee.
The three-year project has been completed but the work goes on at a quickening pace to advise courses on how to become effective ecological custodians. STRI ecologists Bob Taylor and Lee
Penrose travel the length and breadth of the country, laying plans for the management programmes that will encourage sustainable habitats. When the project was announced, English Nature’s chief scientists, Dr Keith Duff, said: Golf courses, contrary to popular belief, can provide vital green corridors and oases for wildlife amongst an ever encroaching tide of developed land and monocultured farmland. Often relatively minor changes to course management can deliver huge benefits to wildlife.”
Since then, the agenda has moved ever
more into the European arena. Golf Environment Europe, a partnership of golfing and environmental bodies working to promote environmental sustainability in the sport, is planning to introduce a certification scheme for clubs as evidence that they meet required standards of stewardship.
The scheme has far-reaching consequences for not only the environmental health of clubs but also their financial prosperity. In the US, where the Audubon
Chestfield Golf Club, Whitstable, Kent
their overheads by less intensive management procedures such as pesticide and fungicide application. They can save money and encourage the maintenance of the eco-system on course.” Partnerships between the STRI and Natural England (English Nature changed its name in early October) the government’s wildlife advisors, have positive prompted change throughout the industry.
The then English Nature and the English Golf Union co-funded a £100,000 three-year sponsored project to be delivered by the STRI to bring free ecological advice to up to 70 golf courses a year.
“Many courses actually have SSSIs [Sites of Special Scientific Interest] on
20
their courses,” a spokeswoman for Natural England notes: “Examples include Royal Lytham St Annes and Royal St George’s, in Sandwich, Kent. Courses such as these want to inform the public and members about the diversity of wildlife within their boundaries, sometimes producing literature during major tournaments giving a hole by hole account of wildlife on and around the course. More and more these days, wildlife is appreciated, valued and assisted on golf courses.” When Royal St George’s held the Open in 2003, an estimated 160,000 spectators were able to visit a site that supports arguably the biggest population of rare lizard orchids. English Nature backed a 36-page full- colour pocket guide to the wildlife on the
programme offers a method of certifying that clubs have reached a high standard of environmental stewardship, such a mark of quality can be a significant element in clubs’ ability to attract members. Golfers in the US increasingly use environmental credentials as their yardstick of choice. Issues such as the chronic water shortage in the South-east of England help propel environmental matters into the public eye and swiftly move the agenda forward as clubs strive to become sustainable in their water requirements. But, taking a step backwards in the
process, it is golf course architects that can find themselves bearing the brunt of environmental edicts, notes David Stubbs, writing for the European Institute of Golf Course Architects website on environmental issues facing golf in Europe. But their experience in this field can be “of great value”, he maintains. He refers to some “extreme examples” of action against golf courses, including a
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100