Wildlife conservation outcomes for a golf course in England

My name is Steve Thompson, I have been working at John o’ Gaunt Golf Club in Bedfordshire for 27 years. My main job as a greenkeeper is helping to keep the golf course to a high standard (e.g., cutting greens, tees, raking bunkers, etc.). My passion today is golf course conservation. I have always had an interest in birdwatching and working outside has always appealed, but way back in 1990 when I first started, I didn’t know just how fantastic a place a golf course can be for wildlife.

John o’ Gaunt Golf Club has two 18-hole courses. John o’ Gaunt course is a parkland style course with lots of trees, a brook running through and a newly installed pond. The Carthagena course is on part of the sandstone ridge. It’s much more free draining and has a more heathland feel to it, with gorse in various places, an oak woodland down one side and elm down another.

I have recorded about 100 species of birds including barn owl (Tyto alba), kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus and even a nightjar, as well as more common species such as great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) and blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus).

Golf course conservation outreach

Over the last two years I have been running a moth trap regularly by the tractor sheds and held several moth evenings with the local moth group. To date, I have now recorded 354 species at the club including the rare white spotted pinion moth (Cosmia diffinis) on the Carthagena course.

I have recorded 21 species of mammals at the club including otter seen occasionally along the brook, water vole (Arvicola amphibious) (and my fave animal, the badger (Mele mele). We are lucky enough to have a badger sett on the course and I do regular badger watches for club members in August and September. These watches give members the chance to see these beautiful animals at close quarters. Also, I have recorded eight species of bats including serotine (Eptesicus serotinus) and barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus).

I have also recorded 21 species of butterflies, including purple hairstreak (Favonius quercus) and common blue (Polyommatus icarus), 12 species of dragonfly including blue tailed damselfly (Ischnura elegans) and banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens). There are numerous other insects around such as grasshoppers, bush crickets, bees, hornets and wasps and various ladybirds, as well as arachnids.

Golf course conservation outreach

Helping wildlife on the golf course

There are several ways I help the wildlife on the course: I have made and installed over 100 bird boxes which I check every spring mostly in my own time and with a ringing permit, ring any chicks I find. I check boxes in the winter and repair and replace where necessary. I have also helped create many wildflower areas providing much needed habitats for bees and other pollinating insects.

Recognized for golf course conservation

I have helped bring much media attention to the club, appearing on BBC TV and local radio. I have helped the club win awards both locally and nationally, and written many articles in national magazines. I have been a finalist four times in a row in the Golf Environments Awards in the category of Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year. This year, I was recognized as Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year. Some golf course owners are less aware of the benefits these green spaces can provide. However, as my work shows, a golf course does not have to be just a golf course. It can also be a conservation boon for wildlife and wildlife advocates.

Resources
Steve on LinkedIn
Steve on Facebook
Steve on Twitter
Steve Thompson, Greenkeeper John O’Gaunt Golf Club – Badger Trust Conference 2016