[Ben Stephens]

150 fire fighters trying to stop forest fire at Swinley Forest

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13265564

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-13264201

[Mark Chaplin]

At the moment they appear to be west of The Berkshire, hopefully the courses will not be affected.

[BCrosby]

Swinley is one of those rare courses that combine great width and spectacular, old growth trees. It would be a real shame if those trees are lost to fire.

Bob

[Mike_Clayton]

Ben,

Which begs another question - how many courses would be improved by a bushfire?
Horsham in rural Victoria was burned in the big fires here a few years ago - and whilst it is the best inland country course in the state - the pictures looked like the course was improved because it was overgrown with non-indigenous trees.
And the fire at NSWGC more than a decade ago cleared out the roughs and, I think, improved the look and play of that course at least until it all grew back.

[Kalen Braley]

ANGC?   

[Mark Pearce]

I actually wondered when I saw this story whether The Berkshire might not benefit from a fire getting rid of some of the trees.  Certainly, historic photos of the courses are notably tree-less.

[Robin_Hiseman]

Currently the fires are contained well to the west of both The Berkshire and Swinley.  The dual carraigeway alongside The Berkshire would act as a pretty good fire break in any case.  Fire could only affect the courses if one were to start to the east of the highway.

[James Bennett]

Which begs another question - how many courses would be improved by a bushfire?

Mike 

I can think of one that you and I know a little, especially as the indiginous trees would probably survive.  The nearby national park had a fire through there in 1983, and that area looked good within two years.  However, the damage to the local area and community would be extreme if such a fire extended to the golf course area today.

Perhaps we can find a pinus radiata beatle - selective elimination of a species.  Perhaps a tasmanian blue gum bug as well!

James B

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Thanks Robin, speaking of great architects who post on here.

[Scott Stearns]

I love Swinley, but a fire would either have no impact or would improve that course.

[John Mayhugh]

I love Swinley, but a fire would either have no impact or would improve that course.

You think the character of Swinley would be improved by burning down all the trees and burning up the heather?

[Giles Payne]

Heather on moors is regenerated by controlled burning - the ash fertilises the subsequent growth - s oI think that any dmage to the heather would be relatively short. I suspect that the natural cycle of heathlands does involve fire and that this helps to control the proliferation of invasive trees.

I wonder what the courses would have lloked like if the trees had been controlled in this manner - as Mark said, the Berkshire was originally very wide open with very few trees. You also have to consider what has beed going on at Walton Heath and whether Hankley Common would be as good with more trees.

[Adam Lawrence]

Giles is right, but of course the key word is 'controlled'. Wildfires are rarely going to be good news. Anyway, apparently there is rain coming, so hopefully all will be well.

[Scott Stearns]

dont think trees are really in play there, and heather will come back quickly.  Besides, the heather isnt reallyi n play either.

my real point is that fire is a natural occurance in heathland, and that, whether colt meant to or not, the course's design accounts for that

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