Best examples of use of Native Areas on Parkland golf courses

[Andrew Buck]

As a member of a traditional Parkland course that is considering expanding native areas, I'm interested in some of the best examples that have done this.

[Terry Lavin]

Philly Cricket seems to have done a splendid job in this regard, while removing enormous amounts of trees at the same time.

[Brian Chapin]

The 6th hole at Paramount

[Dane Hawker]

North Shore Golf Club, Auckland, New Zealand.

Two very large trees were lost to old age in this area and opened up the green. Native Colonial Bentgrass was left to grow long and seed during summer. People said the hole would be ruined. I think it is better. Perfect example to remove another 2000 trees on the  course

[Dane Hawker]

North Shore Golf Club, Auckland, New Zealand.

Downhill Par 3. Colonial Bentgrass

[BCowan]

  I'd have to go with Orchard Lake CC (MI)                                                                          Photos by James Haefner                                                                                                                                         
#3


#6


#8


#13


#17 tee


#17 green/ #18 tee

[Jason Way]

I don't have any pictures, but both Onwentsia and Shoreacres have very well done and varied native areas.  Not just uniform fescue, but a variety of grasses and flowers.

Given that he worked on both, perhaps Tom could comment...

[Tom_Doak]

I don't have any pictures, but both Onwentsia and Shoreacres have very well done and varied native areas.  Not just uniform fescue, but a variety of grasses and flowers.

Given that he worked on both, perhaps Tom could comment...

Jason:

That's funny, because I was just looking at all these pictures and gnashing my teeth over them.  I'm not a big fan of looking for golf balls, although I loved the look of Indianwood (Old) back in the day, and at Crystal Downs which isn't such a formal parkland.

Onwentsia had an expert on prairie grasses spec the native roughs we planted when we cut down many trees +/- 20 years ago.  For the first few years, the "native prairie" was incredibly thick and slowed down play; after a few years I convinced them to cut it back on several holes.  My former associate Bruce Hepner [who worked on the project originally] is consulting there now, I haven't been back for a while.

At Shoreacres the native areas are less in play than most clubs, because the fairways are so wide.  I do like some of the expanses there, as many of those areas are quite flat and the contrast really helps.  I don't like it as much when the property has good undulation and the native grasses distract from the contour.

[Aaron McMaster]

I don't like it as much when the property has good undulation and the native grasses distract from the contour.

Couldn't disagree more with this thought.  IMO trees most definitely will do this but not native grasses. 

Regardless your flavor, if your going to do it and want good results you need sandy to sandy loam soils that drain well or spend a small fortune sand capping and drainage on heavier soils to produce thinner natives.  You have to bleed the fertilizer from years of growing parkland KBG fields, make sure its not getting any irrigation after establisment and hope for warm dry summers to thin out the fescue. 

Also, stick to sheeps and hard fescues if you want fescue native, avoid creeping red and chewings.  Unfortunately, you really can't get sheeps or hard in sod since it won't hold together very well, which means your looking at a 2 year turn around of seed establishment.  If your doing a project and have advance timing you might find someone who will contract grow sheeps and hard with 50% kentucky blue seed in it then once its mature you could kill out the ketucky blue leaving you a thinner stand of sheeps and hard fescue.



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