ECOLOGY


Subsections

    *    Introduction
    *    Environmental Policy 
    *    Waste management
    *    Responsible Golf
    *    Course environment
    *    The CourseWildlife - Flora & Fauna 

Introduction

Prestbury takes great pride in presenting one of the North West's finest parkland golf courses whilst preserving the nature of our surroundings and wild life.
 

The public perception of golf courses may not always be that they are kind to the environment, but at Prestbury Golf Club we actively promote nature and conservation as a key aspect of golf course management.  We take pride in our holistic approach to the management of the environment, the appearance of the course, the protection of its wildlife and our waste management.
 

Our course is home to many plant and animal species, and we see our 140 acres of wooded and rolling parkland not just as a golf course, but also as a sanctuary for natural flora and as a corridor for the birds and animals who live here or just pass through.
 

We hope you will find a moment or two - as you walk between strokes - to enjoy not only our testing Harry Colt course, but also the wildlife and the beautiful scenery around you.


Environmental Policy

Prestbury Golf Club Ltd recognises the need for sustainable development and continually aims to improve the environmental effect of its activities.

It is our intention to enhance the way we manage the golf club to the benefit of the environment while increasing our enjoyment of the game of golf on our very high quality and challenging golf course.

 
To achieve this we will:-
 
1) Establish sound environmental management by 

    *     Meeting or improving upon relevant legislative, regulatory and environmental codes of practice.
    *     Developing objectives to target environmental improvements and monitor performance by regular review.
    *     Considering any environmental issues in the decision-making process.
    *     Developing a relationship with suppliers and contractors so that we all recognise our environmental responsibilities
    *    Educating staff so that they carry out their activities in an environmentally responsible manner
    *    Cooperating with government, regulatory bodies, and other interested parties with the intention of being a good and trusted neighbour 

2) Provide for effective use of resources by

    *     Disposing of all waste in as environmentally responsible way as we can and finding other uses for by-products whenever economically viable.
    *     Promoting the efficient use of resources, energy and fuel throughout the Club's operations.

3) Encourage wildlife :-

    *     through our belief that the quality of our golf course, its architecture and its natural beauty are the main assets of our Golf Club
    *     by continuing to manage the golf course in a way which encourages wildlife

 
Waste Management

We dispose of waste from our Clubhouse and from the course in as environmentally responsible way as possible.  Some examples of our recent actions include:
 

·    The maintenance of a golf course produces  ‘Green' waste, such as grass cuttings and wood chip.  This is matured into compost which is returned to the ground.

·     The washing-off water which runs from our ground maintenance area is filtered and processed to remove organic material before it is recycled.

·    The turf cores taken from the greens are used to reshape areas of the course, such as covering exposed tree roots along the fairways.

·    We build our own bird boxes and waste bins for the course from surplus wood.

 
Responsible Golf

As a member, or as a visitor, we ask you to help us to conserve our beautiful course, ensuring that it remains a very special place in which to enjoy the game of golf.

Please

-    help us to keep the course clean and tidy, by using the waste bins, picking up broken tees and taking all your waste away with you

-    try to keep trolleys and buggies out of the long rough 

-    replace your fairway divots and repair your pitch marks on the greens:  this is not just good golfing etiquette but also an environmentally friendly act! 

-    remember that it is a privilege for us all to be able to play our golf in such a scenic and beautiful landscape.

 
Course environment

Prestbury lies on the east of the Cheshire Plain in the valley of the River Bollin and the Spencer Brook which flows into it.  The course is located above the village of Prestbury on slightly elevated and undulating wooded land, raised above the flood plain.  The land comprises largely sand with areas of boulder clay, resulting in excellent drainage.  Spencer Brook flows through the length of the course to join the River Bollin.   There are many hollows and valleys, as well as areas wooded by deciduous and coniferous trees.  The majority, like the sycamore, oak, ash and silver birch are natural and indigenous species.

The Course

This golf course was brilliantly designed by Harry Shapland Colt, who might be described as the founder of golf course architecture in the British Isles.  Golf, before he came along, was a game of straight lines and sharp angles.  Colt introduced curves and created visual challenges to tease the golfer.  He was also the first course designer to appreciate how golf could be a delightful walk through beautiful vistas.
At the opening of the Prestbury course in April 1924, the Daily Dispatch wrote:
 " Prestbury is a notable addition to the really good golf courses in the North West.  Mr H S Colt, who laid it out, has scored a real success here.  On land which is surprisingly well suited to the game, he has created a course with bold and striking features - a quite exceptional course".

      

     A view up the 9th fairway                        A typical Harry Colt signature bunker     

     ".. on land well suited to the game of golf ...!"

          
Prestbury thus offers many attractive and challenging holes, where you will see many examples of Harry Colt's signature heart shaped bunkers, his McKenzie greens and - where the topography lends itself - several raised greens.
The predominantly sandy soil with a pH of around 6 naturally supports the bents and fescues which make up the grasses on the course. The course drains exceptionally well and is rarely closed.  This is achieved through the natural drainage which is allowed to perform to its full potential by the implementation of a management programme aimed at promoting firm, dry textured turf with excellent year round playability, with overseeding of both greens and fairways helping to maintain the health of the turf.  The rough is predominantly made up of tall fescue and browntop bent, which both offer protection and a food source to the smaller inhabitants of the course.
The sand in our bunkers is the same sand which occurs naturally across the course, where it contributes to the free draining qualities of our turf.
The rainfall in East Cheshire is about 35 inches per year so that watering of the turf is not as important and controlling a factor as in other drier regions.  Prestbury does have a full sprinkler system installed, with water piped from the local brook, but this is used sparingly to maintain the colour, appearance texture and growth of our fine turf.   

As you walk from hole to hole you will see and appreciate the varied and colourful plants and animals, habitats and landscape features along the way.  The views and the ecosystems change as you walk around the golf course because of the localised differences in the topography of the sandy hilly areas, the darker woods and the lower valleys.

We have left many areas of the course in their natural state, such as the hollows below the 14th and 17th and the wooded areas which border the course.  We use as little pesticides and fertilisers as possible, enough to ensure that the playing course is presented in an acceptable manner.

Wildlife

Golf courses are custodians of a very wide range of flora and fauna and if well managed contribute greatly to the quantity and balance of wild life in the area.

Our Birds
Prestbury is home to numerous birds both permanent and transient we know when the good weather is coming by the return of the swallows around the club house.  It is hard to miss the grey herons who nest in the trees above the 12th green and fish in the nearby stream. The daylight hunters include the kestrel.  In the evening after dark it is possible to see the barn owl and the little owl who nest in boxes around the course.  With so many wooded areas you would expect and you would find green and lesser spotted woodpeckers.  Around the clubhouse in Summer are the swallows and  martins and  the  pied wagtail who scurry about on the putting green!  Kingfisher  can be seen by the stream, where the mallard ducks also nest. Around the course we can hear the skylarks, hear the woodpeckers and in the spring wait for that first call of the cuckoo. The pheasants and red legged partridge visit us regularly, and many of the pigeon family are resident around the course mainly the woodpigeon and collared dove.  The magpie, his cousin the jay the other members of the crow family can be seen pulling up turf in their hunt for the chafer grubs to feed their families.

Our Animals

You may expect to see the local rabbits, grey squirrels and the occasional stoat and weasel as you walk around the course.  The local foxes also have their paths across the course, and many voles live in banks of the streams. You might glimpse the mink who live in the hollow below the 14th tee and 12th green. A visit at night would reveal the badgers who live in the banks of the stream between the 13th and 16th fairways and who occasionally intrude onto the tees and fairways in their hunt for worms. 

Our Plants and Trees

Plants, trees and shrubs, including acers, azaleas, rhododendrons and heathers, are planted around the Clubhouse to provide colourful and varied surrounding.

In contrast, the course provides only the natural colours of the mainly indigenous trees, bushes, plants and wild flowers.

On and around the course, woodland management is an ongoing task.  Trees need a long term replacement program to provide for storm damage and old age.  On average about 500 trees are planted on the course every five years, mostly oak, ash and the graceful beech.  We lost nearly 100 trees in the severe gale of February 2007.  We hope that the trees which we plant today will be enjoyed by generations to come.

You will see evidence around the course of patches of an unwanted recent visitor, the Himalayan Balsam, which spreads faster than the indigenous plants.  Its seeds are robust and easily carried by water.  We are currently considering how best to control this intruder!

Many indigenous wild flowers grow naturally around the fairways: there are areas where the common spotted orchid grows freely.  White and purple heathers thrive under the canopy of fescues and bent grasses.  Bluebells carpet many of the wooded areas in spring.

    ... bluebells in a wet wooded area

  ... carpets of wild flowers and grasses      

We hope you will enjoy your game

Observe the views and the scenery

Protect the wild life and the environment

For more information, contact Anthony Davies, Course Manager at Prestbury Golf Club