BIGGA Video Series: Golf Course Ecology

This is an excellent video series by the British and International Golf Greenskeepers Association Limited (BIGGA) covering various aspects of typical british golf course ecology management strategies. This 4 part series was released back in 1997 but is still very relevant.
Topics in Video #1 Include:

• A variety of view points on the whole personal experience of enjoying golf
• An ecologists perspective on golf courses
• Ecological management strategies and principles for Golf in Europe
• Integrating the interests of wildlife and organisations
• Contouring and bringing back English hay meadows
• Rudding Park's types of wildlife species and their successes
• Bat boxes made out of recycling timber and positive comments from golfers.

Topics in Video # 2 include:

• Not obscuring views and vistas
• Avoiding losing sight lines between tee to green
• The problems of invading scrub and plants
• Assessing the course to avoid the course being over run
• Features of Southport Ainsdale golf course and measures taken to overcome issues such as invading trees, soil issues and other problems.
• Lindrick Golf Course and what they're proud of at their course - with an interview with the club secretary who shines a light on the club strategy for maintaining a positive ecology.
• Also find out about the clubs observations from year to year as different types of grass and foliage grow and develop.
• Alwoodly Golf Course which is an Inland Heathlands Golf Course which boasts a successful Heather regeneration as part of a planned ecological plan.

Topics in Video #3 include:

• Thinning out dead, dying and deformed timber
• Restocking with other trees and shrubs to improve structural diversity
• Improving the canopy
• Disposing of and stockpiling of old timber on the course to encourage wildlife
• Returning back to a more natural environment on golf courses
• Linlithgow Golf Course and their involvement with the Scottish Golfcourse Wildlife Initiative and management of the golf course and issue such as landscape, an integrated management plan and other aspects of the site - providing a great example of good practice.
• Examples of the management plan include making better use of wet areas and the balancing act between quality golfing areas and ecological improvement. - which brought positive comments from golfers.

Topics in Video #4 include:

• Integrating nature conservation opportunities and golfing opportunities
• Trying to strike a balance between historic parkland and woodland
• Taking into consideration what makes a challenging course
• Naturalising the course, helping the challenge of the course
• Improving the original landscape design of this area
• What species could be encourage through positive management
• An interview with the club secretary and others who share their views on wider environmental considerations and the many sites in the UK that are considered as areas of great scientific importance, which show that Golf Courses can be more environmentally friendly and support wildlife.