“As the look of the course has been greatly enhanced, so the members’ overall experience is more enjoyable”


Simon Wells, Head Greenkeeper, Pyecombe Golf Club environment


Golf caring for the


strimmer and then rake it by hand, but this is very labour intensive and uses many man hours.” “We are now lucky enough to have access to a BCS Bank Commander, with a scythe cutter bar, and a hay rake which has speeded up the job no end. It also allows us to get onto the slopes and cut areas that we previously couldn’t get to with a ride-on mower. It is much quicker and easier than strimming and one man can do pretty much most of it. The cutting action of the scythe and the removal of the cut material imitates sheep grazing, which is what would have happened years ago. In fact, many courses are now returning to this method as it helps maintain a balanced and diverse ecosystem.” Twenty years ago Pyecombe Golf Club had no rough at all, so Simon and his team had to, literally, start from


scratch, gradually introducing it to enhance the game by creating an additional golfing challenge. However, one of the issues raised by the golfers was that the grass in the rough was too thick and, therefore, slowed play as too much time was spent searching for balls in the thick foliage.


The team then had to find ways to thin the grass so, following attendance at seminars, and recommendations from colleagues in the greenkeeping industry, they began to introduce wildflowers.


Simon said, “Since the wildflowers have begun to establish themselves many of the golfers have commented on the vast numbers of species, and how it has helped to enrich their game. Some were a little apprehensive in the beginning, but the majority have come round now. Their game has been


improved because less time is spent in the rough and, as the look of the course has been greatly enhanced, so their overall experience is more enjoyable, which is, ultimately, what it’s all about. It has also helped to keep costs down too, as the areas need much less maintenance than previously, which means less manpower and less wear and tear on the machines.” The wildflowers are only cut once a


year, usually late September or early October after the nesting birds have fledged, this is also the end of the golf calendar competitions. Cutting with a scythe assists the wildflowers to reseed naturally as the seed heads are left intact and as they fall, or are turned and raked, the seeds flower again. The ‘combs’ on the hay rake also make a slight groove in the earth which the seeds fall into, assisting with


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