Golf


“


This work over the last couple of years, and the other


aspects of producing a sustainable site, won us the Golf Environment Awards Golf Course of the Year 2015


A silver sheen after a light dusting of topdressing


plant species to colonise, providing colour and interest. It is important within the links environment, and it would be of benefit to include patches of bare ground where possible, particularly on southern and eastern facing slopes, for sand lizard interest. Mining wasps and solitary bees will also benefit from this habitat type. A low percentage (3-5% only) of bare ground over the entire site may be acceptable.” “This work over the last couple of years, and the other aspects of producing a sustainable site, won us the Golf Environment Awards Golf Course of the Year 2015,” says Rhys proudly. “We are continually trying to increase the


fine grass content by overseeding, thereby changing the environment to favour these grasses. It has been a priority to increase grass cover over the whole of the golf course as many of the walkways and walk-off areas were very weak and lacking grass cover, leading to poor presentation.” “We also have rare dune heathland, which


we are trying to encourage, and have carried out a good number of dune regeneration projects in the last few years.” “All this work was undertaken in-house,


We also have rare dune heathland, which we are trying to encourage, and have carried out a good number of dune regeneration projects in the last few years


” Area planted with Marram grass 18 I PC JUNE/JULY 2016


but we did buy a secondhand excavator to give us a helping hand,” confirms Rhys. The grasslands are largely red fescue


(Festuca rubra) with occasional marram (Ammophila arenaria). Many areas, including the semi-rough, support numerous green- winged orchid (Orchis morio). Common twayblade (Listera ovata), northern marsh (Dactylorhiza purpurella) and southern marsh (D. praetermissa) orchids are also common through the late spring/early summer period. A number of particular rarities have been recorded at Royal St David’s, including maiden pink (Dianthus deltoides) which can still be found between the 14th and 15th holes, and records also suggest its presence right of the 3rd hole. A much more visible plant is the sharp rush (Juncus acutus) which is at or near its northern limit here and is being used as a feature of the course, providing height interest within the rough and more formidable hazards extending out into the playing line. “The sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) is also an


important reptile that can be found here. This species is given European protection under the Habitats (Conservation) Directive


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