Difference between Parkland and Heathland

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

Sorry about this seemingly stupid question, but I've made a search and couldn't find any satisfactory answer. It seems that everybody takes the meaning of both types of courses as granted. What is the difference between both or how would you define a parkland course and a heathland course? Is it that a heathland course is an inland links course?

Thanks for helping my education.

[Charlie Gallagher]

I'll take a stab at it. In my mind a heathland course is inland and sand based. A parkland is more likely on soils that have more clay or silt, and it is likely to be tree lined. A links is sand based and sits exclusively on the land between the agricultural inland and the beach.  That's the typing, in my mind.    
I'd bet there is an architect or two, or 5, who visit here that can give a more detailed definition than I can.

[David_Tepper]

From wikipedia:

"A heath or heathland is a shrubland habitat found mainly on low quality, acidic soils, and is characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation."

Parkland is likely to be richer soil that can support more lush vegetation & trees.

[James Boon]

Ricardo,

Yes finding such things in the search enegine can be a pain as I'm sure its been discussed here many times before.

I've always understood it to be as follows:

Heathland is a course routed over heathland habitat as described in David's post. Sometimes this is lowland heath like in Holland or the courses west of London. Other times its upland heath which is closer to moorland as at the heathland courses in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.

I've never really understood the definition of an inland links course, and always felt it was just an easy or lazy way of describing a heathland course, but then I played Ganton last weekend. That truly is an inland links course as the land it is on used to be part of a large estuary and so sat on a former sandy coastline.

Parkland is an inland course routed through land that used to form a park for a large country house or estate and is a mix of mature trees and open landscape.

However, many inland courses have come to be termed parkland as though they might not have historically been a park, as suburbia has surrounded them they have become for all intents and purposes a park.

Cheers,

James

[Tony_Muldoon]

Ricardo it's in the soil. Heaths were man made and managed environments where trees were cleared out long ago. The soil is usually acidic and grazing animals and practices such as cutting Furze/Gorse for firewood meant they were normally tree free. There is some debate about how many of the tress at Sunningdale were deliberately planted by Colt and how many just allowed to grow over the years.  It should also be remembered that the soil is poor and much drainage has taken place over the years. Despite that ,it's true to say that the soil mostly  tends to be light and sandy leading to growth of Heather, Gorse, Pine and Birch as typical vegetation. At New Zealand GC the soil is more acidic and they have the most splendid Rhododendrons.

A small group of us recently  visited The Addington.  Here the new owners have considerably 'improved' the grass sward but at the expense of the Heather.   The soil there is atypical of many heaths and they've moved  the course  more to a parkland type setting.  Parklands can be on any soil but clay might be the most common.


I hope this helps, here's a thread where we got to grips with the true Heathland courses.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,20383.0.html 

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

So I get that the main difference is in the soil. But does that have an impact on design? For example, it seems that a heathland course has generally less trees than a parkland course, but if I understood correctly, Sunningdale was built on heathland and is surrounded by trees. Am I missing something?

[Jon Wiggett]

So I get that the main difference is in the soil. But does that have an impact on design? For example, it seems that a heathland course has generally less trees than a parkland course, but if I understood correctly, Sunningdale was built on heathland and is surrounded by trees. Am I missing something?

Ricardo,

the trees at Sunningdale appeared after the course was built. Before that grazing livestock kept saplings at bay.

Jon

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

the trees at Sunningdale appeared after the course was built. Before that grazing livestock kept saplings at bay.

Jon

OK. But have those trees transformed Sunningdale into a parkland course or since the soil is heathland it remains a heathland course? My point is how do you recognize a true heathland course just by looking at it.

I assume it would be difficult to find a true heathland course in central Argentina, where the soil is so rich.

[Tony_Muldoon]

the trees at Sunningdale appeared after the course was built. Before that grazing livestock kept saplings at bay.

Jon

OK. But have those trees transformed Sunningdale into a parkland course or since the soil is heathland it remains a heathland course? My point is how do you recognize a true heathland course just by looking at it.

I assume it would be difficult to find a true heathland course in central Argentina, where the soil is so rich.

Even in Darwin's day he refferred to the Pine and Birch to which we add Heather and Gorse.  You'll not see that mix on rich soil with a neutral ph.   You can have Parkalnd on free draingin soil but if it was acidic then you will get those plants if the temperature is not too hot.  Sunningdale is Heathland.

[Mark Pearce]

Can we use this thread to finally bury the misconception that heathland is sand based?  Please?

[Sean_A]

There is much misconception about the heathland courses.  In truth, most are at least parkland/heathland hybrids.  Most are tree-lined.  Most have some degree of heather which is in the main used as very penal rough that is also very pretty.  Now, the biggest difference really between heathland and parkland is there aren't really any parkland courses designed to the same high quality as the best heathlands - in the UK anyway. Plus, the heathland courses are visually lovely.  I am convinced that a well managed parkland course today can drain just as well as most heathland courses - their turf has been allowed to become that parkland like.  In effect, nearly all the heathland courses are running on the reps of a very long time ago.  

Ciao

[Adrian_Stiff]

Ricardo-  The heath refers to areas that grow heather. These areas are quite rare  in the UK but the geology and the way they behave follows a similar pattern. The soils are basically always acidic but they can range from silty to sandy, the soil is typically 3.5-6.0 ph never highe. Erica carnea will colonise in the thin infertile soils, its also good for a number of plants and the trees which we tend to like for golf courses (those that dont produce big leaves) Birch, Pine and Oak will all do well. Heaths lend themselves to being great for golf by default as linksland they are not good for producing great crops, not much likes ph levels in the threes or fours except finely bladed fescues and impoversish plants. Parkland by contrast could be on any soil and generally refers to trees, in theory Parkland could be on heathland if left uncontrolled, aka Sunningdale so your not so far wrong really, but as has already been said it is all about the soil.

[Jonathan Mallard]

Heathland: A course in Myrtle Beach that Tom Doak designed and finished - Par 71.

Parkland: A course in Myrtle Beach that Tom Doak started, but didn't fniish - Par 72.

 

[Mark Chaplin]

Mark is right about the sand element, Walton Heath is on clay.

Heathland courses need management of trees to stop them clogging up, grazing used to keep the heaths fairly barren (after humans had taken the wood). Silver birch is an invasive weed hence Walton Heath clearing theirs out.

For a true heathland experience play Hankley Common, they only golf over a small percentage of their 800 acres.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Good to see you back, Adrian...

As always, an answer that gives a level of detail rather than an ideology...

[Mark Pearce]

Good to see you back, Adrian...

As always, an answer that gives a level of detail rather than an ideology...

I had meant to say that.  Despite our occasional disagreements Adrian is a real asset to this forum.  His views are always honest, frank and based in his real knowledge of the industry.  It is very welcome indeed to see him posting again.