Manchester is renowned for being a bustling major city, often related to its industrial heritage, however some of the stunning courses available in this area will make you forgot about the staggering three million population, and allow you to focus on the hole in front of you.
Given the location, many golf courses are making admirable strides to maintain and improve the ecological environment, especially through maintaining the local wildlife.
Manchester Golf Club
Manchester Golf Club is set in over 240 acres of predominantly moorland but exhibits heathland and parkland features. It is ranked as one of the top 3 English Golf Championship Venues of the Year award. Over the last 15 years, the previous Head Greenskeeper laid strong ecological foundations on which Matt Shimwell is now building. Ecology is at the heart of the course and is taken so seriously that the club works closely with the STRI and consistently ranks highly in their Environmental Awards.
A lot of work has been done in order to encourage wildlife onto the course. Gorse has been planted throughout but it is pruned and managed in rotation in order to preserve the natural habitat. There are over 40 species of birds including buzzards, short-eared owls and butterflies on the course, some of which are extremely rare. Later this year the club’s intention is to lay a hawthorn hedge around the whole course which will have an even greater ecological effect.
