Golfdom, October 2011

Turf on Trial 18 Golfdom October 2011 THEY MEASURED THE NUMBER OF SPECIES AND AMOUNT FOUND ON THE 400 ACRE PRAIRIE DUNES PROPERTY LOCATED IN HUTCHINSON KAN AS COMPARED TO THE NEARBY 1100 ACRE SAND HILLS STATE PARK IT WAS VERY VERY SIMILAR GEORGE SAYS REBUT TAL AC CU SA T IO N 1 WHEN A PERSON claims that wildlife hates a golf course theres a good chance that person has never set foot on a tee green or fairway In fact it would be impossible to find a golf course where wildlife not only survives but also thrives sometimes to the chagrin of the superintendent and members How many tens of thousands of dollars have been spent attempting to get a flock of Canada Geese to move to a location other than the middle of a fairway In urban areas golf courses often provide the only habitat for various creatures that crawl walk fly and swim It would be hard to disprove for instance that there is more wildlife at the 36 hole Pelham Split Rock Golf Courses than in the rest of New York Citys Bronx which is dominated by pavement and cement The real questions might be however how much does wildlife like golf courses and is there a way to measure that In one instance both questions were answered A golf course versus a state park In the early 1990s two graduate biology students from Tabor College in Hillsboro Kan performed one such study at Prairie Dunes Country Club They measured the number of species and amount found on the 400 acre Prairie Dunes property located in Hutchinson Kan as compared to the nearby 1100 acre Sand Hills State Park It was very very similar said longtime Prairie Dunes superintendent Stan George of the conclusions The numbers and species were the same as the 1100 acres of pristine prairie The result surprised many including George especially considering Sand Hills State Park is almost three times the size of the golf course Also with a golf course a swimming pool tennis courts and dining options Prairie Dunes is a hub of activity You would have thought there was too much traffic but it had little effect George said He was pleased with what the researchers unearthed It was gratifying and interesting as well George said Maintaining the prairie Prairie Dunes and Sand Hills both have an abundance of raccoons skunks deer voles and birds And although bobcats are rarely seen there their tracks are frequently spotted Part of the success in keeping wildlife on the Prairie Dunes property can be attributed to the fact that the golf holes are routed around a large central area of grass covered dunes We have a corridor within the golf course where wildlife doesnt just pass through but stays George said He added that open space does not necessarily mean wildlife finds it a suitable place to reside Georges home not too far from Prairie Dunes abuts 80 acres of untouched land yet he does not see nearly the amount of wildlife in his back yard as what he sees living on the course Since 1958 the club has been the THE D EFE NS E CALLS TO T HE STA ND