Grassing, Landscape & Ecological Design

When one first thinks of golf course landscaping, turfgrass comes to mind. Naturally, sustainable grassing plans are based on the use of the most drought-tolerant and disease-resistant turfgrasses for the locality. The wrong grasses for the locale — especially on cold, dry or high-altitude courses — can shorten the available playing season. For example, in the Alps and Iceland, the playing season is very short, and those courses need grasses that will recover quickly with minimal water and fertilizer.

Just as importantly as species selection, however, is avoiding blanket turfgrass coverage in the first place. It can be costly to maintain and doesn’t contribute much to habitat or biodiversity.

Rather being than a focus, grassy areas should be presented in the context of other vegetation coverage, such as semi-natural and natural grasslands, sandscapes, scrub and woodland plant communities. Good grassing plans include all these vegetative components, communicating not only that the footprint of the playing area has been minimised, but also describing the relationship and interface between turf and other vegetation types.

A golf course conceived without concern for sustainability often has much greater hectarage planted in turfgrass than are really needed for a good game. The designer should look creatively for ways to integrate more natural, less resource-intensive non-turf vegetation into the strategy of the course. Making the fairway wider in typical landing areas and narrower elsewhere can often reduce fairways considerably. A hilly course in the American Northwest is returning low-lying areas, normally carried by even high-handicap golfers, to a natural state with the expectation of reducing turf by 10 per cent or so. As the plan is developed, it should be carefully evaluated for economy. Given the short and long-term implications for water, fertiliser, pesticide, fuel and energy use in construction and maintenance, it pays to make the right decisions on grass coverage and species at the outset.

Closely related to grassing plans, landscaping plans provide additional detail on the specific nature and composition of grassland, shrub, woodland and other vegetation types. These plans should cover the entire development — even the area immediately around the clubhouse, gardens and communal greenspaces in and around housing.

Emphasis should be on the use of native, drought tolerant species throughout the development, with care taken to select species and interfaces between species that will bring the greatest ecological value — for example, selecting one tree or shrub species over another because it has a greater association of fungi, birds and invertebrates.

Landscape designers should seek to retain as many habitats as possible, incorporating them into the golfing challenge and the aesthetic character of the course by utilizing them as natural hazards or carries. In addition, valuable vegetation species can be uplifted and replanted at alternative locations on site. Examples of successful translocation of vegetation include wetland species, such as reeds, and protected species, such as orchids, and grassland and heathland turf.

Whether leaving trees and shrubs where they’ve grown naturally, transplanting or planting anew, it’s best to aim for continuous cover, which means making sure there are always generations of younger trees emerging. Continuous cover in woodlands ensures a consistent character and continuity of landscape over time by reducing the risk of sudden loss of tree cover.

In addition, finding ways to connect vegetation and reduce habitat fragmentation can improve population dynamics amongst wildlife. Hedges and walls can link habitat patches and provide cover for small animals. Designing with landscape ecology in mind will result in a variety of habitats in a wide range of shapes and sizes.

Habitat can be formed where you might not at first consider it. The topography at the bottom of a pond, for example, can create niches for diversity; varying depths stratifies water temperatures. Scalloping the edges of a pond with gradation of submerged to marshy vegetation provides habitat at its margins. Golf courses have also designed floating nesting islands in the middle of ponds.

Vegetation can be established in more places that you might expect, as well, for example, by forming small ledges or pockets on rock faces. Cuttings may also be potential wildlife habitat; sand martins, for example, have been known to use newly cut faces in softer material as nesting sites. Even the eaves of buildings can be used for habitat when fitted with built-in nest boxes.

Transitional zones of all types provide opportunity for diverse habitats. Woodland edges, often the most species-diverse area where woodlands and shrubby areas intersect, can provide excellent habitat for a variety of animals, especially when the edges create nooks and crannies. Even the interfaces between turfgrass and rough grass, or turf and sandscape, has ecological value. Considering how transition zones will interface with playing areas can often be a key recurring design feature, and not always the easiest to get right.