GOLF and the environment
“We have a direct responsibility for the day to day management of the site, we have a legal duty to maintain and enhance where necessary the quality of the habitats within”
The delicate nature of the land
required careful planning of the renovation process. A non-managed area was used for ‘chunking’ (grass transplantation), with the chunks deployed around the bunkers to help blend the golf course into the natural landscape. “Work on the bunkers was planned
around their proximity to grassland translocation sites,” says Rhys. “This minimised unnecessary travelling between work areas and, therefore, damage by heavy construction vehicles. The only extra material needed was rootzone to help rooting, so we were able to use existing golf course machinery - a tractor with back hoe and front bucket, plus a tractor and trailer for carrying material around were about all that was required.” Rhys also resorted to more unusual
tools to get the desired effect. “One of the best tools we used was a pick axe to rough up the sides of the translocated chunks, as it gives a great looking natural edge!”
Additional bunkering is now a feature of a large number of holes to make for a more challenging experience, whilst allowing golfers the chance to test their skill from teeing grounds of their choice. Cattle have traditionally been grazed on the course year round, but this has now been restricted to the winter months, leading to the establishment of high rough. “We had no rough before, now we have definition between fairway, semi-rough and rough and the course now plays in a totally different way - it’s a proper championship links golf course,” says Rhys.
Head Greenkeeper, Meurig Lumley,
agrees: “Taking the cattle off from May to October has enabled the course to grow in areas that would otherwise be of same height, which allows us to manage the roughs to have proper definition in the right places. A semi rough collar on nearly all holes has changed the look of the hole, allowing the golfer to have a fair chance.” A new Kubota 1600 diesel ride on mower has been added to the club’s machinery fleet which, Meurig says, is ideal for the rough. “The lie of the land, and the fact that it is in a SSSI, restricts areas that can be cut, but this does not have too much effect on the look of the hole,” he comments. “Now that the majority of the new features have become established, the course can be managed with attention to detail to make sure it is working in the way we want it to.”
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