BIGGA Golf Environment Competition

Kelly Harmar & Richard Stuttard, The Sports Turf Research Institute

At the BIGGA (British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association) Harrogate Week event in January, Notts (Hollinwell) Golf Club was awarded the overall title in the yearly Golf Environment Competition.

Other exemplary facilities around the country were awarded regional titles. The Best Newcomer and Innovation awards were also hotly contested.

Golf Environment Europe would like to congratulate all the facilities that took part in this contest and is delighted, in conjunction with the STRI and BIGGA, to highlight the efforts of the winning facilities and bring you the details of individual projects that led the judges to make their final decisions.

Notts (Hollinwell) is a heathland course that impressed not only with their large-scale environmental and ecological projects, but also by with their superb attention to detail and focussed initiatives, Notts (Hollinwell) is managed by a team of 9 greenstaff, under the guidance of head greenkeeper Philip Stain.

The commitment and enthusiasm of all those involved at Notts (Hollinwell) in the promotion of aesthetically and ecologically interesting holes, not to mention fine playing surfaces, is clear both when visiting the course and talking to Philip and his team. It is this enthusiasm and the all round support at the Club that has enabled Notts (Hollinwell) to claim the overall crown.

During 2007, a programme of scrub clearance continued the clubs hugely successful heathland restoration programme. Heather regeneration is widespread, thanks to the innovative techniques employed by the greenstaff, and heather is now becoming an integral part of the golf course. Notts (Hollinwell) is unusual in having a 50 out of play acres in the centre of their course. To stem the encroachment of scrub vegetation the club have introduced a team of grazing sheep which are successfully keeping the area free of scrub trees and bracken.

Water features are also strongly represented at Notts (Hollinwell). There are a number of well-managed ponds, including an irrigation reservoir, while the comprehensive network of dykes and ditches, which have been further extended this year, look stunning. The club recognises the need to not over manage, and has encouraged appropriate marginal plants.

There are almost countless other small touches around the course, such as the provision of hibernacula for reptiles and snakes, the creation of nesting holes for kingfisher and sand martin and the provision of wood piles in woodland areas to provide habitat for stag beetle and other invertebrates that feed on dead wood.

The good work at Notts (Hollinwell) is not exclusive to the course. At the maintenance facility the greenstaff have developed a sustainable water management system featuring reedbeds to cleanse washdown water. In the clubhouse a wood burning boiler has been installed to meet the club’s entire heating and hot water needs. This boiler will be fed from waste wood from the ongoing woodland management programme on the course, supplemented by deliveries from an outside contractor who delivers ‘waste’ wood to the club at no cost, rather than paying for its disposal in landfill. This is a superb “win-win” partnership that, despite an initial start up cost, will ultimately reap both financial and environmental rewards.

Communication with members on ecological matters is of an extremely high standard and this has served the club well in enabling the progression of projects that change the look of the golf course. The club commissioned a bird survey of the course to provide members with information on what can be spotted as they play the course. This in turn highlighted the success of the 50 nesting boxes that have been erected.

A moth survey has also been carried out through a local University. The results of these surveys are posted on the club notice board, along with details of the environmental projects being undertaken. This information promotes healthy debate in the Clubhouse and maintains strong links between Greenstaff, Club officials and members. It is this holistic approach to environmental and ecological matters that has kept Notts (Hollinwell) in title contention for many years.

Scottish winner, West Linton golf Club, is located in stunning countryside in Peeblesshire in the Scottish Borders. The golf course circles a substantial area of blanket bog, which is protected from development and agricultural improvement by the surrounding golf course. The bog area was initially retained as it was simply too wet for golfing play but is now appreciated as the outstanding visual feature of the course. The Club are conscious of the need to manage and to protect the bog and have commissioned botanical surveys to help guide management. West Linton has worked closely with conservation organisations such as The Wildlife Partnership, Scottish Borders Biological Records Centre, the Scottish Golf Environment Group and their local Biodiversity Action Plan officer. The Club is also very inclusive of the local community and hosts a glass-recycling site for West Linton village. It also has an outreach programme that encourages schools to get involved in research projects and work experience. Internally, the Club have a dedicated Environment and Energy Committee.

This years Northern Area Winners, Eaton Golf Club, stood out for their incredible interest in the subject of ecology and environment and their desire to take the club forward. The club has an Environmental Working Group which meets regularly to discuss how they can improve their environmental programmes. It’s not all talk though. The club has only been at its present location for fourteen years but despite this the ecological work they have undertaken creates an air of maturity. Deep, ecologically rich rough has been introduced in many areas of the course by Head Greenkeeper Gavin Clark and his team. This is serving to provide definition to the holes and increase the aesthetic and ecological value of out of play areas. There is also an impressive network of ditches, which, where out of play, have been left to naturalise and provide superb habitat for a wide variety of insects and small mammals.

Hedgerows also feature strongly around the course creating an effective natural barrier and providing wildlife corridors which facilitate the safe movement of birds and small mammals. Hedgerows are declining in the UK, with over 150,000 miles lost in the last 60 years, and Eaton, recognising the ecological value of their hedgerows, have undertaken a hedge laying programme to preserve and enhance hedges on the course. These are just a few of the measures that, coupled with best practice techniques regarding turfgrass and water management, have led to Eaton being top of the Northern Region this year.

Fulford Heath Golf Club, near Birmingham, surprised the judges by securing the Midlands Region title in their first year of entry. This result is down to dedicated and continual work over many years by head greenkeeper Kim Blake and his greenstaff – not to mention significant investment by the Club in 2007. The rough grasslands are the highlight of the course at Fulford Heath, where the sowing of annual seed into rough areas has produced impressive wildflower meadows, which change colour throughout the year and provide important food for pollinators. The Club are also taking part in a study, in conjunction with STRI and Syngenta, which trials several different management techniques aimed at encouraging wildflowers in golfing rough, to provide food plants for bumblebees. The results from the study will be communicated to other golf Clubs to encourage the establishment of wildflowers on courses across the country. In 2007 the greenstaff have put in place a comprehensive composting system that utilises organic waste from the course and from the Clubhouse, including waste cardboard and paper. The Club have shown faith and foresight in purchasing a wood chipper to speed up the composting process.

The Wales and South West regional prize was a close fought battle with the standard in this area being truly impressive. Coming out on top this year was Royal Porthcawl Golf Club. Head Greenkeeper David Ward and his team have utilised and promoted the coastal species they have on the course to maximise the habitat available for wildlife and, in turn, create a superbly challenging round of golf. There is not a square metre of managed turf that is not realistically required and the golf course sits harmoniously within the surrounding coastal landscape.

Gorse and heather feature strongly on the course and are managed to maintain them at the healthiest stage of their lifecycles. The gorse provides superb definition and strategy to every hole and, where gorse or heather are not present, deep but ecologically rich rough grassland has been allowed to develop. There are significant ‘out of play’ areas on the course that have been left with minimal management to promote wildlife and these areas are akin to nature reserves. This, coupled with an excellent attitude to communication, recycling, and water management (including a water harvesting scheme from maintenance buildings), made Royal Porthcawl the judges favourite in this Region.

At Aldeburgh, southeast regional winners, Mark Broughton is an extremely knowledgeable greenkeeper who has developed an organised and sustainable approach to improving the course. The greenstaff at Aldeburgh have begun an extensive programme of gorse removal which, when complete, will transform and rejuvenate the course. The aim is to get a more even balance between grassland and gorse, opening vistas across the course and providing valuable habitat. The interior of large blocks of gorse is largely inactive and inaccessible to small birds. Breaking these blocks up helps to regenerate the gorse and increases accessibility.

This gorse management is a massive undertaking for the greenstaff and has taken up much of the time and resources available for ecological work. Despite this the Club have initiated a successful woodland management programme by employing a contractor who works for the price of the wood he removes. The contractor has been selectively thinning the woodlands on the course – removing non-native trees such as sycamore and retaining native species. The course at Aldeburgh is quite likely to have supported heather in the past as some very small remnants remain and the acidic soil conditions are suitable for heather growth. Mark has sourced heather seed from a local golf course and has successfully established heather within a trial area of the course. Given this success, more trials are planned, with the aim of gradually increasing heather on the course at a sustainable pace.

Fairhaven Golf Club, near Lytham, has been awarded the best newcomer award following their recent pledge to introduce ecological change on their course and the rapid progress made since making this commitment. The Club commissioned an ecological management plan in February 2007 and have made rapid progress since with strong commitment shown by both the greenstaff and the club. One particularly impressive element of Fairhaven’s new management policy was the appointment of James Hutchinson, Assistant Greenkeeper, as environmental coordinator and the setting of a separate guaranteed budget for ecology work each year. On top of this annual budget the club promised to double any prize money received by the club for the efforts in the 2007 competition. This amounts to a substantial windfall for ecology projects at Fairhaven this year!

Since February, the Club have removed self-seeded silver birch from mounding on the first hole, which was threatening the survival of creeping willow (a European priority species) in the wet hollows. The Club have also levelled and cleared an old dumping ground and have now concentrated all hollow cores and old turves into one screened area for reuse. Grass clipping are now collected and redirected away from the course into a newly constructed central composting system. The Club has a lot of Rhododendron on the course, which is non-native and supports only minimal wildlife interest. The members have approved plans to significantly reduce the amount of rhododendron, an important and difficult step with such a controversial issue.

Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Course occupies a superb location on the Northumberland coast with its namesake providing a dramatic backdrop. The course is on National Trust land (the original golf course was constructed before the NT purchased the land) and is privately leased. The National Trust have a vested interest in the management of the site and provide advice and volunteer labour to help manage the course. This is certainly appreciated by the Club who rely on only two dedicated greenstaff to manage the 18-hole course.

The Club have been awarded this year’s special initiative prize for their efforts to encourage nesting birds on the course. This includes the restoration of grassland covered by bracken and gorse and the reconstruction of a greenkeeper’s shed from the 1900s in the same style and dimensions as the original. The extended eaves of this building provide nesting space for birds and the windows have been left open to provide further nesting potential for swallows. The Club plan to plant a small woodland adjacent to the reconstructed shed, at the periphery of the course, which should provide further shelter for the birds. This planting has been well thought out and will consist of deciduous trees planted in single species groupings, which mimics the dispersal pattern of trees in natural woodlands. The 2007 innovation title is well deserved by the Club, who were also a very strong contender for the best newcomer prize.

Both STRI and BIGGA are grateful to the sponsors of the competition, Ransomes Jacobsen, Scotts and Syngenta, who make the competition possible. The sponsors demonstrate strong commitment to the environment through their own businesses and both they, BIGGA and STRI are keen to encourage best environmental practices on golf courses. The high standard of entries in 2007, from across England, Scotland and Wales, and from Clubs of diverse budgets and resources, suggests that environmental stewardship in golf is certainly on the ball.