Conservation & Ecology
View of the 3rd with a carry over long-rough in front of the tee, providing a challenge to the golfer whilst offering a safe haven for invertebrates and small mammals
with the remainder of the report containing further detailed information about the different grades of rough, how to manage them and the likely timescales and costs involved. Again, this is complemented be a series of hole-by- hole maps that help me manage the areas effectively. We have also enlisted the help of a local farmer to cut and remove the rough initially and will be following this up with a scarification regime with some reseeding in the worst affected areas.
It is not only nature conservation and enhancement that is covered by the EMS. Waste is also seriously considered as there are direct benefits, especially when taking into consideration the use of green waste. The product of this can provide a free source of compost that can be used for a variety of things from fertilising fairways to placing within newly created wooded plantations. So, with this in mind, we have devised a number of designated green waste areas around the course in spots that do not take us too far away from where we are working. Here, we can periodically collect and move the waste to a dedicated composting area off the course. This also
Bolton Old Links annotated map indicating extent of Himalayan Balsam both on and around the course
has the added benefit of preventing excess nutrient build-up in other areas - the long-rough for example - which would slowly revert to a coarser sward through continued tipping.
Another important aspect of our EMS is management of water, and work will be done to see if we can reduce our use of this limited resource. Plans are being made to install a weather station so we can monitor our weather, make better use of our irrigation system and make more informed decisions about when to use it. There is also the possibility of displaying current weather conditions through the weather station on the club’s website, giving members the opportunity to check up-to-date information about the course condition without them having to leave their homes. Together with the creation of new ponds and enhancement of the one existing pond on the course, this will combine to provide a complete picture of the considerations we make to the use of water.
In time, I will have covered all the main areas of environmental stewardship on the golf course and will have a
complete working EMS that provides step-by-step guidance for all our initiatives. Eventually, it will contain a plan for woodland management, hedge management and a major section covering all aspects of turf management, from the use of the innovative compost tea to simple things such as height of cut. All habitats on the course will feature, and there is also the small problem of Japanese Knotweed, another invasive weed threatening to occupy the course. Also pencilled in for the near future is the creation of a wildflower meadow that will act as a scenic backdrop to one of our holes.
It’s been quite a busy few months for me, as you can see, and I’m sure that it’s going to remain so for the foreseeable future, especially as winter provides the best opportunities to get projects off the ground. With the excellent
greenkeeping team here, and the backing from the club’s directors, I’m really looking forward to moving the course towards sustainability.
Further information regarding the different types of nestboxes can be found at:
http://www.birdfood.co.uk/ctrl/node:1 33;page:17;/nest_boxes
Internet mapping resources:
http://gridreferencefinder.com https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk http://www.google.com/earth/index.h tml
Creating a map can be as easy as printing off a large-scale satellite image of your course and annotating the appropriate land uses, or you could be adventurous and use a computer to create your own
All photos kindly provided by John R Barlow. Visit
www.jrbarlow.co.uk to view a selection of other fine images.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 PC 121
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