The enthusiastic historian and naturalist Michael Clegg travels the Yorkshire region meeting colourful characters, looking at interesting places and uncovering some off-beat jobs and trades. In this episode of Clegg's People, Michael Clegg visits two golf courses: Lindrick and Fulford. He talks to Mike Schofield of the Nature Conservancy Council about how golf courses can act as nature reserves and how course owners are encouraged to maintain features that are attractive for both the...

The enthusiastic historian and naturalist Michael Clegg travels the Yorkshire region meeting colourful characters, looking at interesting places and uncovering some off-beat jobs and trades. In this episode of Clegg's People, Michael Clegg visits two golf courses: Lindrick and Fulford. He talks to Mike Schofield of the Nature Conservancy Council about how golf courses can act as nature reserves and how course owners are encouraged to maintain features that are attractive for both the golfers and the surrounding wildlife. Title: Yorkshire Television Production Title: Clegg’s People A golfer hits a tee shot as Michael Clegg describes the location as Fulford golf course at York, the venue for the famous Benson and Hedges golf championship. The film shows the competition at Fulford with expert commentary and crowds attracted by premier class golfers. However, Michael observes that visitors are probably unaware of the wildlife that lives nearby. Views follow of various plants and animals that may be found on the fringes of a golf course. The film shows a bee orchid, and some purple orchids growing close to a green as a golfer plays his shot. Michael appears on the course and walks towards the camera, talking of winter and quiet periods during the season when the trees can be full of a variety of birds. Michael goes on to say that the Fulford course was created in 1935 on low lying meadows next to an area of marsh known as the Tillmire. Michaels sits down next to a bunker and explains that while curlew and snipe will nest on the Tillmire, the rest of the golf course becomes an oasis for all other birds which have suffered habitat depravation due to modern farming methods. The film shows a red legged partridge calling to its mate from the edge of a bunker. On the 16th fairway on the left-hand side is the Tillmire which is a fragment of a native heath. A close view shows a wild flower known by several names; milkmaid, lady’s smock or cuckoo flower, a plant of old wet grassland as Michael describes it. The film then shows a lapwing flying over the marsh, as well as mallards landing; a cuckoo and meadow pipit is also spotted. Golfer Mike Schofield prepares to hit his golf ball. Mike is active in trying to persuade other golf clubs to take a new look at how they manage their courses with respect to wildlife, a qualified advocate as he is also an assistant director of the Nature Conservancy Council. Michael Clegg off camera states that golf courses make up one fifth of the country’s sites of scientific interest. On camera Mike talks about his proposals for the management of golf courses with respect to wildlife. Michael explains off camera that Lindrick golf club in south Yorkshire has had a wildlife policy in its course management scheme for ten years. An aerial photograph from 1939, shows the limestone outcrop where the course is based surrounded by fertile farmland. Another photo taken at the first tee in 1908 shows the golf course with long stretches of open grassland with hardly a tree in sight. The view of the same scene taken today by the film camera, show trees and woodland masking a view of houses which were once clearly seen as in the other photograph. Two men walk across the course towards the camera. This is the father and son team of club members Eddie and Nick Park, who led the move to recapture the past of Lindrick golf course. The main aim was to improve the quality of the course turf, weakened by years of treatment with artificial fertilisers and over-watering. They called in the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the result was a natural history survey and advice on how to improve the most sensitive ecological areas. The film shows wild irises and other flowers in long grass. A jay is spotted in flight, Michael says its on a nest raiding mission. The sighting of this relatively rare bird is one of seventy bird species seen amongst dense shrubbery on part of the course. The film then shows the Twayblade orchid one of five orchid species to be found at the golf course Nick Park prepares to make a tee shot as Michael stands nearby acting as caddy. Michael and Nick set off on a nature trail. Stopping at a gorse bush, Michael off camera calls it the golfer’s favourite hazard. Michael explains that after 1945 animal grazing and gorse burning was phased out at the golf course, to be replaced by using herbicides. When some of the rough plants overgrow they create shade which affects wildflower growth and grass growth on the fairway. Naturalists encouraged a clearance of invading scrub, to let light in and air circulate. Michael and Nick continue down the fairway. Nick explains that the course was originally designed as a links style course, similar to the St Andrew’s course in Scotland. The film then shows a man who appears to have his head in a large cloth bag. Michael identifies him as Bill Ely a naturalist who helped establish the new management scheme at Lindrick. On a heath area on another part of the golf course Michael catches up with Bill who is pursuing insects with his net and cloth bag. Bill shows Michael what he has managed to catch so far. One captive is a scorpion fly, with its characteristic scorpion-like body. Bill is studying the area as the plants growing are in a limestone rich area which attracts certain species of insect and plant. Other insects Bill catches are three types of bees. A bumblebee, a mining bee and a cuckoo bee which lays its eggs in miner bee’s burrows. Michael asks Bill about butterflies. He shows Michael a small heath butterfly which is in plastic box he’s carrying. He also has a specimen of a robber fly which Bill says is scarce in the north of England. Bill and Michael leave the heath to explore the location of an ant’s nest. Bill spreads the sandy soil with his fingers to show the tiny ants just below the surface. Bill shows the white pupae the ants are guarding and looking after as these contain developing ants. The film goes on to show Nick Park on the green as he sinks a putt. Michael meets him as he comes off the green. Michael admires of the quality of the turf. Nick explains that the club is working to create a more natural turf for the greens. They use fewer chemicals and fertilisers and have reduced watering to guarantee year-round play on the courses. Nick points out to Michael an area of formerly over grown hillside they’ve thinned out in recent years, a static photograph shows how it looked before clearance. They walk past a river and Michael comments on the flies darting about over the water. Nick mentions they also have fish in the river, including perch and roach. Michael leaves Nick to his golfing round and then appears walking along a track emerging from part of Sherwood Forest. Local folklore he says suggested it was used by monks from nearby Roche abbey as they went about their business in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. He moves on and stands on a stone bridge above the river Ryton, where local lore said three counties used to meet. Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire. Cock fighting used to take place nearby in the 19th century it is now one of the greens of the golf course. The film shows two men one with a scythe clearing an area of rough grass and scrub. Initially the golf club thought labour costs were too expensive to carry out when necessary but a suggestion from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust that clearance work became a Manpower Service Commission (MSC) scheme ensured that future clearance projects could take place. Naturalist John Newbould set up and runs the scheme, Michael meets him in an overgrown area of long grass. John points him towards some flowering red campion, and herb robert. John explains that by clearing areas of the rough encourages the wild flowers to come in along with insect life. John says the most exciting items for a conservationist at the golf course are the orchids and the natural rock gardens on the limestone. General views follow of wild flowers, plants and insects. In the evening, Michael explains John and his colleagues survey the nocturnal wildlife, he comments that some moths have not been seen in the area since the early 1900’s and in June and July glow worms can be found. For the professional greenkeepers at the club the wildlife management scheme was a complete turnaround. On film men walk onto a green with shovels and wheel barrows to treat the turf. Michael comments off screen saying that heavy watering and fertilisers were out; organic top dressing with minimum watering were in. Michael talks to one of the greenkeepers about the new practices. General views follow of golfers on one of the greens. Nick Park takes another shot on the fairway, followed by a putt on the green. Michael applauds him. He asks Nick if the world of golf generally should adopt the ecology friendly management regime that Lindrick has successfully done. Nick reckons that three quarters of the 2000 golf course around the country could adopt the same practices with successful results. Nick finally holes the putt which ends the programme. Credits: Camera Keith Brown Sound Peter Boden Additional Photography Marianne Wilding Editing John Hey Dubbing Don Atkinson Production Assistant Carol McKenzie Graphics Tony Sharpe Producer Marylyn Webb Director Geoff Hall Series Editor David Lowen Executive Producer Graham Ironside. © Yorkshire Television Ltd 1988 End credit: Yorkshire Television production