CHAPTER 12


Trees on Long Ashton Golf Course


S


ERIOUS tree planting was started on the golf course in the winter of 1964, when about 1000 trees were obtained from a Scottish nursery. Te account shows


that these cost just over £100 including packing and carriage. Prior to that period, there were only a few isolated hawthorn trees and numerous patches of gorse on the course (see Plate 11). Te bold decision to start extensive tree planting was taken by the Green


Committee who at that time were Leslie Grove, Bill Littler, Peter MacDonald and Alan Shipman. Tey decided following discussions with Iain Campbell that trees could be grown on the golf course in spite of the general opinion of most members at the time, that the site was too exposed and the soil too shallow. Much of the golf course is on broken carboniferous limestone rock which is


seldom more than 20cm below the surface and can oſten be seen at surface level. Te limestone is covered by a thin layer of Keuper marl and a medium red clay loam; in consequence only small trees will become established. In spite of this most trees have grown surprisingly well under these harsh conditions, and only a few have been uprooted in the last 20 years in spite of the shallow soil and several severe gales.


Te varieties chosen had to have small leaves to avoid damage to the grass


and thorny trees are not welcome on a golf course for obvious reasons. A mixture of evergreen and deciduous trees were selected to give shelter in the winter and varieties tolerant to selective herbicides used on grass swards were chosen (Plate 60).


Te planting schemes selected and supervised by Iain Campbell, were aimed


at giving maximum protection to golfers on adjacent fairways, greens and tees and to give the holes individuality. Te major species planted in wide blocks, of at least 100 trees, west of Providence Lane were as follows:


Beech - Fagus sylvatica Sycamore - Acer pseudoplatanus Scots pine - Pinus sylvestris Austrian pine - Pinus nigra Corsican pine - Pinus nigra maritima


86


mainly planted between the 1st and 10th, 11th and 18th, 14th and 15th fairways - behind the 1st, 11th and 17th greens and behind 2nd and 12th tees


{


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