Many clubs are addressing one or two ecology elements, but few have considered them all


A brief guide to golf course enhancement by Richard Stuttard, STRI Ecology and Environment


ECOLOGY E


ntries to the 2009 Golf Course Environment Awards have now closed. In the meantime, it’s worth noting that the various elements on which the Awards are judged make an important contribution to the package a golf facility has to offer. Many clubs are addressing one or two of these elements, but few have considered them all. With this article I want to highlight the various opportunities a golf facility has towards maximising its appeal and continuing to run successfully as a business.


Nature Conservation - are you creating the best environment for your club?


Enhancing the natural environment on the golf course is something STRI has


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promoted throughout the golf industry for the past twenty years. The creation of a diverse environment within which to play golf has a much more vital role in the success of a golf course than many people realise. There is no doubt that the maintenance of good quality playing surfaces is critical to both a club’s reputation and success, yet, without a diverse and memorable setting within which to play, a club is lacking one of the key ‘hooks’ that retains members and attracts new blood.


No matter what type of course, be it parkland, heathland, downland or links, natural surroundings can be used to great effect, both from an aesthetic and strategic aspect. The following


summarises just some of the options for nature conservation on the golf course and what you could be doing to promote them:


Deep rough grassland


Deep rough grassland is a valuable habitat resource for insects, small mammals and ground nesting birds. If managed appropriately, it can also provide striking fairway definition and be used as an integral strategic element. By considering golfing play and ecological value when planning the development and management of grasslands you are automatically maximising the value of this habitat to your golf facility.


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