Golf Working With The Environment

A criticism often levelled at golf
and golf courses is that in order to maintain their pristine condition and
perfect putting greens, they are not good partners with the environment and
wildlife.

If that were ever true, modern and
forward thinking golf clubs in the UK appreciate the benefits of both people
and wildlife of working with the natural environment.

The British and International Golf
Greenkeepers Association runs an annual Golf Environment Competition. In the
South-east, the regional award went for two consecutive years to the Thorpeness
Golf Club in Suffolk.
Being located on the beautiful Suffolk
Heritage Coast,
in one of the most picturesque areas of the country, the course is surrounded
by a wealth of wildlife. Made an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) in
1999, the hotel and golf club has a strong commitment to environmental issues.

Thorpeness boasts rare species of
orchids and mushrooms and taking a walk over the footpaths covering the course
offer an ideal opportunity to spot the resident hedgehogs, adders, rabbits and
bats, plus the Whitetail Fish Eagle and Marsh Harrier have all been known to
visit!

Ian Willett, Course Manager at
Thorpeness and his team of Greenkeepers work closely with the Suffolk Sandlings
Project, Suffolk Wildlife Trust and English Nature to ensure that they work
with rather than against the local environment.

“Golf clubs in general get a bad
press when it comes to environmental matters, and we are determined here to
make that old news”, Ian commented. “Golf courses do little damage to wildlife;
in fact they are an oasis for wildlife within urban areas. At Thorpeness we
currently have areas specifically for the rejuvenation of heathers and gorse
and offer the perfect habitat for the Nightjar and Woodlark species. We have a
large recycling facility which is open too, to the residents of Thorpeness Village and are determined to continue
ensuring our golf course is a haven for wildlife”.

The golf club has recently
installed a water recycling system, and have also erected a variety of nesting
boxes for birds and bats.

Local environmentalist and member
at Thorpeness, Dr Ray Harding, has been keeping a diary of the wildlife
activities on the golf course over the past few years, and will be monitoring
the boxes closely as the new Thorpeness residents take advantage of the new
accommodation.

Kris Smith has been living and
writing about Suffolk for several years. So if you are looking for a Golf Club
in Suffolk, take a look at Thorpeness
Hotel and Golf Club or
Telephone 01728 452176.

 

Article Source: http://www.theukarticledirectory.co.uk