03 Feb 2022
Enhance your course and save time and money through naturalization
Suppose you’re looking for ways to play your part or take on a more significant role in advancing sustainable golf at your course. In that case, naturalization is a great practice that can result in immediate benefits.
Whether you’re a greenkeeper/superintendent at a 9-hole course in Scotland or a course manager at a 36-hole facility in Australia, reducing your time and inputs when it comes to course maintenance makes sense.
How are other courses benefitting?
Leaving areas of rough unmown is important for several reasons, including:
Nordcenter Golf & Country Club, Finland
The Sustainable Golf ‘Highlights Hub’ (part of this website) has dozens of excellent examples of naturalization in action at courses worldwide. Here are just a few to help get you inspired:
Hirsala Golf Club, Finland - 13% reduction in rough maintenance
Craig Hempseed, Estate Manager, Mortonhall Golf Club, uses the OnCourse programme and has this advice for greenkeepers and superintendents looking for ways to do good and save money:
“In 2020, we started looking at ways we could naturalize areas of rough around the course after joining OnCourse and seeing how other clubs were benefitting. GEO Foundation gave us some invaluable advice too and we set about putting a plan in place.
“Instead of just having unmown rough areas, we’ve also introduced around 2Ha of wildflower areas around the course and installed two beehives on site. The feedback from members has been great and the work undertaken has given the course a better aesthetic without impacting playability.”
There are so many practical things you can do and continue to do at your facility to foster nature. Find out more about how to Do One Thing #ForSustainableGolf:
If you liked this article, you may also want to read three ideas for a more sustainable golf club supply chain
