Conservation & Ecology
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These decaying giants will also provide a roost site for bats including the brown long eared variety which have taken up residence within the greenkeeper’s maintenance area
The golf course itself is of the nine hole
parkland variety, which is maintained by four mowers, two of which are trailed gangs - one for fairways and the other for the rough. The grasses which reside at Kingarrock are the fleshy type; you know the ones, Yorkshire fog and Cocksfoot, which seem to accept golf balls with consummate ease. The native trees are in magnificent condition and well placed, some with bird boxes attached. Owen is, without doubt, a knowledgeable
and educated chap, whose greenkeeping aim is to produce a golf course on a par with any other nine holers you may find, but without the chemicals - a hard task but, on meeting him, you feel if anyone can then it’s this bloke. Did I mention that there’s no irrigation either? A true early 1900s golf course which
is trying to replicate the 1920s maintenance practices as closely as possible. Although I mentioned the grasses being of
the fat variety, Owen will have in his possession a flail rough collector which he plans to use during the winter - the aim of this procedure is to systematically thin out these grasses be removing their source of nutrients, resulting in a finer sward of bents and fescues. The site itself is a botanists dream with ox
eye daisy, selfheal, forget-me-not, lady’s bedstraw, fox and cubs and marsh orchids on show - I’m quite sure there will be one or two rarities hidden away, and I am already looking forward to next spring when I can return with my magnifying glass and camera. I must confess to being an amateur
Yellow rattle and fine grasses 112 I PC OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015
mycologist and there were one or two fruits displaying during the damp afternoon’s visit, but the highlight of the day was the flock of goldfinch which we observed feeding from the many black knapweed seeds on offer. Other birds noted were great and blue tits, chaffinch, greenfinch and jay. Owen mentioned that there were raptors on site,
facility are greeted by a sweet chestnut tree thought to be in the region of 250 years old
including kestrel, tawny owl and buzzard - these will keep the rabbits in check I feel! An extensive plan of tree planting is
underway with the intention to return the site back to its former glory. Sessile oak, Pedunculate oak, European beech, Horse chestnut, Copper beech and Sweet chestnut, some of which have not been seen here for a century, have been incorporated, but I was pleased to see a good amount of decaying upright timber in place - something I am passionate about myself, as the senescence of a tree offers many places for new life to flourish, even if the new life has eight or more legs. These decaying giants will also provide a
roost site for bats, including the brown long eared variety which have taken up residence within the greenkeeping maintenance area. So to say that Kingarrock is in good environmental shape would be an understatement! Owen is in the process of developing a
corridor of native holly trees from one copse to another for the use of mice and hedgehogs - an excellent project and one
Visitors to the greenkeeper’s maintenance
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