St Andrews Links Blog

The joys of spring at The Castle

After one of the wettest winters on record, spring arrived a little later than normal here in St Andrews. It started dry and rather cool. With temperatures barely getting into the double figures growth has been slow but there is young fescue growth in the deep roughs which is helping give ground nesting birds like skylarks perfect cover for their eggs to remain undisturbed.

At this time of year the thrushes are in full song trying to attract a mate.

And the swallows have returned and are busy repairing their nests from years gone by.

With the course recovering from the winter programmes and indeed the weather, the gorse is beginning to flower which gives the Links a fantastic flash of colour at this time of year. As part of a gorse management project in 2013 the plants were cut back and are now showing a nice thick and healthy regrowth. The new tight growth gives perfect cover and protection to young finches, wrens, yellowhammers and other animals and insects who take shelter in the bushes.

The more recently cut back gorse bushes are sprouting rejuvenated shoots.

If yellow isn’t your colour then some beautiful primroses and blue bells have grown in by the 17th green and cascade down the cliff.

Words by Trevor Harris, Deputy Course Manager – The Castle Course