Part of the new fleet of Toro machines at work
albeit steadily, in recent times. “The demographic is definitely changing,” McConkie confirms. “We’re aiming much more at the ‘BMW’ demographic, as players increasingly see this as a prestigious course, with the castle being a feature not found elsewhere in the region.”
He describes the course as one of “very high value”, with people choosing to play here mainly to enjoy the whole castle experience. “The sporting and leisure tradition here is centuries old and visitors come here for that reason. We can offer the full service, from jousting sessions to classical concerts and we were one of Pavarotti’s favourite UK venues for performing.”
The castle still has the power to attract a host of regal and celebrity guests, from the royal family itself and top world pop and classical acts to the broadcasting of leading cookery programmes such as Masterchef, whose grand final was held in the castle last year. TV chefs The Hairy Bikers also visited this year to film as a part of their tour of the counties, cooking up a storm with local produce including Kentish cob nuts. Despite its huge scope for producing food, the site restricts itself to a small amount of low intensity root vegetables,
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The Hairy Bikers cooking up a storm!
James says. “The time and manpower would be too great and distract from the true focus of the castle,” he explains. Award-winning wine from the estate’s
vineyards is also a feature of the Leeds Castle phenomenon and it produces 7,000 to 8,000 bottles of sparkling wine a year. “The ancient vineyard is one of the oldest recorded sites we have here,” he adds. “The original has roots that can be traced back to a citation in the Domesday Book.” With such a wealth of natural resources, self-sufficiency makes both cost and practical sense. “We produce as much to put back into the castle as we possibly can, and utilise wood from our own trees in our chainsaw mill for everything from kindling and firewood to brass rubbing plates,” he says.
Managing the golf course particularly is “all about working with what we have”, insists James Smith, “instead of what we could have” - a philosophy close to his heart, as he is a strong advocate of traditional greenkeeping methods. “I believe firmly in ‘old school’ ways -
using experience and knowledge rather than too much emphasis on science and a reliance on pesticides,” he explains. “I vertidrain, scarify and topdress regularly and stick to the principles of good
The rather more attractive Fiona Bruce, host of the Antiques Roadshow
husbandry.” Keeping costs down is also a crucial factor as greenkeeping budgets have to be spread across the whole golf acreage. “We spend very little compared to most golf courses,” says James. “The average is around £19,000 a hole - a sum that could easily be spent on sand alone. Price is always the deciding factor. We use the best seed for the cheapest price possible, finding out what works and pushing for the best deal we can.” The team’s sturdy environmental ethic
prevents them from placing spraying high on the agenda and pesticides use is “kept to a minimum”, he states. “Preventative measures such as regular aeration and scarification is a better method of weed control for us. We manage the ground and try to work with it to prevent invasive weeds taking hold.” Some weeds prove too tough for traditional methods though, he concedes, and fusarium is one of the most persistent problems. “When it takes hold, there’s little you can do, no matter how big the budget,” he says resignedly. Thatch continues to be his biggest headache, however. “Most golf courses would give up and go home with the amount that we have here,” he laughs. The same might be said of the
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