End-user perspectives

Head Greenkeeper at Newquay Golf Club, Dan Kendle, gave us an insight into how he has implemented a quality level of pest management to his course.

After being a part of Operation Pollinator back in 2020, Dan had a mission for his IPM journey: “We have suffered from leatherjackets for about the last six or seven years. Over this time, we introduced wildflowers to encourage more insects and then brought in more bird species. We have an estuary, which means we have lots of birds who pass during migration; they will feed on the leatherjackets and then go to the estuary.”

Dan explains the need for a sustainable approach to IPM: “There is no silver bullet anymore, like with chemicals of the past. We have introduced bug hotels to encourage birds that will feed on the leatherjackets and other insects.”

He explains: “Despite not having any nesting boxes, we have about three or four hundred starlings. They make their own habitats - either in Newquay town or on the course in bushes. Three years ago, we had Cornish Chuffers (a member of the Crow family) come back to the course. They had actually gone extinct in the seventies and it’s nice to see them coming back because of the changes we have made.”

Dan has turned his attention to educating members about the sustainable approach: “We are not home and dry with leatherjacket problems. As head greenkeepers, we should really try and get as much information out to members about what is going on with the course management.”

He started: “It was like something from a horror movie. The spraying window had passed, so I knew the only option was seeding and rolling.”

“We all learn about leatherjackets in college. It shows why education is so important because you learn exactly what an infestation looks like. They like damp mild conditions, so we accommodated the perfect conditions for them to thrive.”

John thinks it could have been much worse had he not acted quickly: “If we had left it for much longer, the birds would have removed so much of the surface that it would probably have been unsavable. I had to make a few makeshift scarecrows just to be able to try and control the birds. All told, I lost about 45% of a 125-metre squared green. My saving grace was that it was two greens and not ten.”

John continued: “The situation has completely changed my perspective and definitely opened my eyes up to which seed to use. It was the first time that I’ve used ryegrass on the course and it helped to get growth quickly.”

“The outbreak also made me appreciate how important agronomists are with advice on everything from seeds and fertilisers to growth regulators. Ronnie Frame from Agrovista Amenity takes soil samples every month and we speak regularly to ensure all bases are covered.”

“Since this issue, I have noted down the temperatures and rainfall every night in my diary. I am much more OCD about pest management now.”