“It was what I was being told to do by everyone in the industry”


Colin Webber, Portmore Golf Club environment


Golf caring for the


father Frank, who is also a director of the business, tends the semi-rough. However, the transition from milk to members, on this 180 acre site. has been a long old journey. “Going from farming to golf was quite a shift in direction,” says Josh “Dad had been running a conventional dairy farm where massive inputs were the norm so, when he started his journey he was throwing on the fertiliser and chemicals, as that was what he had always done on the farm. 300kg of nitrogen a year was a common occurrence.”


“It was what I was being told to do by everyone in the industry,” says Colin, “lecturers, greenkeepers, magazines, the lot.”


However, after ending up with “Poa


Pudding” greens and lakes full of algae, it was clear that this farming approach had to be rethought. From the initial design stage,


numerous ponds of varying sizes were built to manage water effectively, as this was seen as a priority to combat the


effects of climate change. “I’m a believer,” says Colin. “You only have to look at our last three summers and winters to see that something is going on with our climate.” “With the predicted hotter summers, heavier rain storms and colder winters it was our aim to collect run-off water from the roads bordering the site,” says Josh “and clean it to a point where it was suitable for irrigating the courses whilst, at the same time, reducing the risk of flash flooding. These lakes have been managed in a way that look visually superb and also provide invaluable wildlife habitat. They are now home to kingfishers and otters, which has been great for the members to watch.”


“In addition, over the last five years, we have improved the quality of the environmental roughs by cutting, bailing and removing this bulky material. This has had a number of positive effects, especially as it has made playing golf at Portmore a much more pleasant experience - the ball can


now be found and a stroke made at it!” “By carrying out these operations we have encouraged the finer grass species and wild flowers which, in turn, has encouraged several species of butterflies - especially the Blues - small mammals and ground nesting birds. Furthermore, hedgerow creation and the erection of bird and owl boxes, along with eco-piles within the woodland areas, has created habitats and food sources that have helped to provide numerous ecological corridors for a vast amount of organisms.” Biological management is an area that is constantly being developed at Portmore. This is a type of turf management that encourages the establishment of beneficial micro- organisms into their playing surfaces. These help to prevent turf plant diseases and pest attacks, whilst previously unavailable water and nutrients become more readily available to the turfgrass plant. “A teaspoon of healthy living soil has more beneficial organisms than there


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