Golf
Park and Ride on its way back from St Ives
and fairways at 14mm in the summer and around 16-17mm in the winter. We apply a Headland Relay 46:0:0 weed and feed once a year; a far cry from the previous methods employed! Tees will also be given a dose of Headland Multigreen 25:5:15 as required.” As well as returning the course to a
proper links, the team have busied themselves with various projects. New pot bunkers have been installed on various holes and, with the 1st tee having to be moved forward to accommodate new housing across the road from the club, a new putting green has been built, along with decorative planting at the entrance. Even the relatively small picnic area outside the clubhouse is maintained to a high standard. Yet, perhaps one of the most striking visual improvements are banks of wild flowers, planted from a seed mix that Keith has been trialing for one of the major suppliers. In the height of summer these look absolutely stunning and, as well as attracting all manner of insects, add a splash of colour around the clubhouse and machinery shed. Behind the clubhouse, Keith has built a new practice area with integral pot bunker. Its construction is slightly unusual in that the face is made from 3G turf to reduce maintenance. “All the golfers want to do is practice getting the ball up and out,” says Keith. “To date,
New junior tee under construction
we have had no adverse comments, and the members seem delighted with this new addition.”
Beyond the chipping area is a turf nursery that Keith maintains with native grasses and, beyond that, the composting area.
Up to this point, our discussions have
taken place over coffee in the tastefully restored 1920s clubhouse, but Keith is keen to take me out on the course to get the full-on experience of its location and to highlight some areas of interest. Once I am shoe-horned into the
Gator, we head off past the church to the lowest part of the course where holes 5, 6 and 7 are located. These are the only holes on the other side of the railway and offer stunning views across the estuary and bird reserve. At this point, I cringe at the thought of the cultural practices that were previously being carried out, and the unseen damage that was being caused to this ecologically sensitive area.
As we head back to the main part of the course, we pass a new junior tee in the process of being constructed. Keith explains that some of the juniors were unable to reach the fairway from the existing front tee, so they had put in the new one to rectify that problem. A little further on, we come to what can only be described as the rusting metal skeleton of a once huge building. It sits just outside the boundary of the
“I immediately dispensed with the chemical inputs and concentrated on a more organic approach, starting with aeration,
aeration and even more aeration”
Catch of the day
Lowest part of the course alongside the RSPB reserve JUNE/JULY 2012 PC 13
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