Club’s green efforts lead to award
Work aims to create golf course ‘much closer to nature’
Bringing one of the country’s best seaside golf courses back to the way nature intended has resulted in Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club being named Environment Club of the Year at the Golf New Zealand National Golf Awards.
For the past 25 years the club has been removing evidence of human intervention — returning much of the course to its natural state.
The long-term programme has involved exotic tree felling, promoting indigenous flora, mass eradication of invasive weeds, and the enhancement and creation of wetlands.
General manager and superintendent Leo Barber said the course was “so much closer to nature nowadays”.
“We’ve really worked hard to make this land a stunning example of our local environment.
“Man-made retaining walls have been removed, paths have been realigned and designed to be hidden from line of sight, sustainable grasses were encouraged, and what’s more we made a huge reduction in chemical and fertiliser reliance.
“The club has recently installed solar energy and during some parts of the year is often exclusively powering our clubhouse from that source.
“The club’s mantra for the enhancement process is to provide an island of close-to-natural ecosystem within an increasingly urbanised environment.”
The wetlands and native rough
areas are home to a plethora of birds and small invertebrates including the white-faced heron, common skink and, on occasion during a wet summer, the royal spoonbill.
A trapping programme has eliminated rabbits and reduced the number of rats and stoats.
Barber is thrilled something he is so passionate about has been recognised by the awards’ judges.
“What it has shown has been that not only has an environmentally proactive approach been good for our ecosystem, but it has provided playing conditions and a look and
feel that has been great for golf,” he said.
Golf has sometimes been unfairly maligned as being harmful to the environment, but Barber believes the opposite is true.
“Golf courses are proven to enhance valuable natural areas, often at
no cost to the public, providing important habitats for wildlife and an improved respiratory system for the community.
“The golf industry has been very focused on kaitiakitanga and doing what’s right for the place and the people.”