Conservation champions at North Hants Golf Club for a Reason!

Deputy Course Manager Andy Reason was recently named Conservation Champion of the Year. An award celebrating individuals who make significant contributions to the success of environmental and ecological management.

Andy began his career at Reading Football Club before moving to Castle Royle, Sunningdale and St George’s Hill. In 2008, he joined North Hants Golf Club, where his passion for conservation really took off. 

When did your interest in conservation begin?

It’s something I’ve always been interested in. One of the first books I bought when I started working was A Practical Guide to Ecological Management by Bob Taylor. The club’s attitude really changed after COVID, with a focus on becoming greener. Sam Evans had just joined the team as Course Manager, and we started recycling our waste - initially as a cost-saving measure. Then we pursued the GEO certification, which was a key milestone, and things have really snowballed from there.

Have you implemented conservation projects on the course? How have you done this?

We’ve increased the volume of heather stands across the site using imported heather turf, heather scrapes, disturbing the seed bed with a Toro Procore, and even growing heather cuttings in a greenhouse. We’ve expanded wildflower meadows, conducted yellow rattle trials, built log piles and bug hotels, and installed bird and bat boxes. We’ve also introduced compost heaps and developed a tree replacement and planting plan.

In addition, we’re carrying out carbon sequestration trials using Sida and have even rehomed fish from a local member’s pond. We collect used coffee grounds from local coffee trucks to add to our compost. We’ll literally try anything!

Andy Reason (right) accepts the Conservation Champion award from Richard Owens, Tillers Turf (left)

We actively seek to work with and share our land with local associations and societies. We currently have close relationships with Fleet Beekeepers (who make the honey we sell to our members), local birdwatching groups, the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Amphibian and Reptile Group, the Hedgehog Preservation Society, and Butterfly Conservation. Most recently, we’ve started working with the Hampshire Bat Group and Hampshire Swifts Group, expanding our commitment to wildlife conservation.

Do you think other golf courses should implement conservation projects?

Absolutely - it’s a great opportunity, and our members enjoy hearing our updates. The hardest part is just getting started. We had already implemented many initiatives without fully realising it - until we took the time to sit down and document them..

It doesn’t have to cost a lot. We try not to throw anything away, we use recycled materials, and we even raise money from scrap metal skips. Over the past five years, we’ve spent less than £500 in total. We got our wildflower seeds using Turf Rewards, and we made all our bird boxes and bug hotels ourselves - initially as a bit of a joke during wet weather using old pallets from club deliveries. Now everyone is on board and coming up with new ideas regularly.

We’ve even created a compost committee within the greenkeeping team - myself, Paul Nield and Tom Ditchburn - to keep our sustainability standards high and implement new ideas. We also seek advice from local experts, and we’re currently planning our first breakfast meeting with all the local groups we work with - hopefully, they can support each other beyond the golf course too.

Have North Hants supported you in implementing conservation projects?

The club has been fantastic in supporting me and our sustainability committee, which includes members from each department and meets quarterly to discuss and implement plans.

We now have an active ecological management plan that we’re working towards and continue to improve.

Is it important that golf clubs and course managers buy into conservation?

Absolutely. It needs to be a team effort from the whole club, and it’s important to bring everyone along on the journey - showing the benefits for the club, golfers and the wider community.

Some of our club-wide commitments include the Big Butterfly Count, Big Garden Birdwatch, log piles, bird boxes and hedgehog hotels made from pallets and brash. We’ve also built compost heaps using old railway sleepers, and we now produce our own green waste to use on the course.

Have you faced any challenges in trying to implement conservation projects?

The biggest challenge is that we still have a golf course to maintain - that’s always the priority. Sam has been great at allowing time to implement ideas, but never at the expense of course quality.

Many of the things we do have now become part of our normal operations, and once they’re established, the challenges tend to fade.

What do you enjoy most about conservation?

The sense that you’re doing something for the greater good. People often ask why we’re doing this now. For me, the best time to have started was twenty years ago - the next best time is now.

Actively protecting conservation areas and wildlife habitats, both for now and the future, gives me a real sense of pride.

How important is wildlife on golf courses?

Historically, golf courses have been seen as bad for the environment. That’s why it’s important for clubs to take responsibility and try to mitigate their impact - ideally, becoming a force for good.

Green spaces are vital, and encouraging flora and fauna is only a positive. At North Hants, we’re surrounded by urban development, so providing a home for wildlife is essential. Equally important is communicating these efforts to the wider community - to help shift the stigma around golf courses.

Many of our initiatives have been low-cost. Regular communication and member engagement are key - bringing them along on the journey allows us to keep building on our conservation efforts.

It’s also crucial that high-standard golf and conservation work in harmony - and they can.

How did it feel to win the Conservation Champion of the Year?

It was, and still is, unbelievable - it hasn’t really sunk in. It’s an award for everyone at the club, staff and members alike. Everyone has bought into the project, and none of it would have been possible without them.

Have members reacted positively to the conservation projects?

We try to communicate everything we do through social media, YouTube videos, member newsletters and regular course walks. We even started a wildlife sightings book in the clubhouse this year and are planning to add cameras to the bird boxes.

Members seem to really enjoy hearing about what we’re doing and some have even joined in.

We recently held a BIGGA First Green event, where a Year 6 class from a local primary school visited the course. We talked about the work we do with wildlife and ecology, helping to show children and teachers how golf courses can be environmentally positive - and hopefully inspire future careers in greenkeeping or conservation.