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| Sefton Coast Partnership | Shoreline Management | Nature and Wildlife | Coastal Heritage | Visiting the Coast | Students and Teachers | Coastlines | |
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Summer 1998Life in the Rough - Golf and Nature on the sand dunes of the Sefton CoastArticle by David Simpson.
Golf courses have been an integral part of sand dune life on our coast for a over a century. The vast extent of dunes or ‘links’ landscape, the original home of golf, providing excellent terrain with marvellous views and bracing air. The first course was developed by the West Lancashire Club at Crosby towards the southern end of the dune system in 1873. Since that time enterprising clubs have established courses along the length and breadth of the coast, with a total of seven true links courses present. They have undoubtedly changed the character of the natural dunes, just as farming and afforestation have elsewhere. However, unlike those activities, large areas of endangered dune and heathland habitats and important populations of rare species such as the Sand Lizard, have been conserved. The presence of golf courses has protected large areas of dunes from development, particularly housing, as a glance at a map of the coast today clearly testifies. The golf courses are, in many respects, nature reserves. Protecting the dunes from development, however, is not enough to conserve the special types of dune and heathland wildlife. Just as the nature reserves, they must be managed or rare species will disappear. In fact golf courses had been mowing, grazing, cutting scrub and managing woodland before any nature reserves were established on the coast, developing considerable expertise in management techniques. Although this management was undertaken for golfing reasons, it has helped to conserve dune wildlife. The Sefton Coast Life Project worked with all the golf courses to further improve conditions for our special wildlife. This has been achieved by working closely with the greenkeepers to restore habitats and populations of rare species, and secondly by preparing management plans for the ‘rough’ areas, in close consultation with the membership. The sharing of knowledge and experience between golf and nature managers will help to raise the quality of conservation management on the coast as a whole still further. Formby Ladies The course lies at the heart of an important heathland enclave. With great support from the Club, the Life Project produced its first management plan for golf and nature. This successful format was extended to develop further plans at other courses along the coast. Heathland and duneland restoration has been initiated including the mowing of a dune slack. Formby A management plan has been developed for this large site which contains significant tracts of duneland and woodland. A dune slack with important orchid colonies has been cleared of encroaching scrub. Southport and Ainsdale The course contains some of the oldest dunes on the coast well inland from the shore. The heathland landscape is special and emergency habitat restoration works have been completed. A management plan has been developed to conserve its special features. Royal Birkdale One of the largest courses and most seaward. Before the Life Project began, with an English Nature management plan in place, the Club was already getting to grips with the problem of the invasive White Poplar or ‘Lancashire Weed’. Over 15 hectares have been cleared with support from golf’s governing body the Royal and Ancient, restoring the fine links landscape. The Life Project and the greenkeepers restored three wet dune slacks and already a new species - Cotton Grass- has appeared. This work resulted in the Club justly receiving the Northern Winner award for the 1997 BIGGA (British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association) Environment competition. Large areas of invasive Sea Buckthorn are earmarked for clearance which will result in further restoration of dune and slack habitats. A special lined breeding pool for Natterjack Toads has been installed by the Club with a grant from the Pond Life Project. Hesketh This course is unusual as both a northern outlier for the Sefton Coast dune system and as the northern most native site for the rare Sand Lizard in the UK. A management plan has been prepared by English Nature and the Life Project and the greenkeepers have recently accelerated management actions concentrating on improving Sand Lizard habitat. There are plans to re-introduce the Natterjack Toad and enhance wild flower areas. Hillside The variety of habitats and height of the dunes are especially impressive. Hillside is another Sand Lizard stronghold and an important link is made by the railway line habitats with Sand Lizard colonies further north and south. The greenkeepers have considerable experience of planning and undertaking environmental work in the roughs and this has greatly benefited the wildlife. A bird nestbox scheme has been underway for many years now, managed by the greenkeepers. The Life Project worked with the Club restoring Heather and developing a management plan for the rough areas. West Lancashire The course is a gently undulating landscape with little scrub invasion, noted for its Skylark populations and Wild Thyme. Much work has been done over the last five years to re-introduce the Natterjack Toad and with the support and enthusiasm of the greenkeepers, this is proving to be a success. Grey Hair-grass Corynephorus canescens - a rare and special plant. This is an unmistakable grey-green, short, spiky and tussocky grass. The Sefton Coast dune system is one of the few sites in the country where it is found, and the only one on the west coast. In fact almost the whole Sefton Coast population is found on the Southport and Ainsdale Golf Course. It appears to be healthy and thrives alongside golf play. The new management plan and research studies should help to ensure the conservation of this special plant.
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