St Thomas’s Priory Golf Club, part of the Hawkesyard Estate in Staffordshire, is the first golf club in Europe to install a revolutionary new buggy path surface developed in the United States.
The first 40 yards of Flexi®-Pave, which is manufactured from old car tyres, gravel and a patented compound, has been laid on the 10th hole at St Thomas’s with plans to upgrade the buggy paths around the whole course.
Richard Thwaites, Head Greenkeeper at St Thomas’s explained why Flexi®-Pave was chosen instead of tarmac or concrete. “It’s environmentally friendly and it’s a great surface to drive golf buggies on but from a maintenance point of view, its flexible so tree roots don’t damage it, its resistant to frost so doesn’t crack, it doesn’t let weeds through and; it’s extremely porous.”
Flexi®-Pave is a very well established product usually found at war memorial sites, in children’s playgrounds and in the grounds of old people’s homes. St Thomas’s is well known as a golf course that rarely closes owing to poor weather and the installation of Flexi®-Pave is part of their ongoing investment in the golf course and its facilities for the benefit of their members and visiting golfers.
Phil Gibson, Director of Golf at St Thomas’s commented “We were really impressed by the environmental credentials of Flexi®-Pave. The entire Hawkesyard Estate and St Thomas’s Priory Golf Club, is committed to using ‘green’ resources and recycled products. We’ve learned that the recycling of car tyres is the worst kind of tyre to recycle and Flexi®-Pave’s manufacturing process consumes vast quantities of these tyres which is great for the environment.
“We are delighted to be the first golf club in Europe to install this state-of-the art surface on our buggy paths and we’ve already welcomed the green’s staff from two nearby world famous golf clubs to take a look!”
Owing to its slip resistant and impact absorbing properties, the roll out of the specialist Flexi®-Pave surface to the rest of the buggy paths at St Thomas’s will focus on areas of high traffic and worn surfaces.
Hawkesyard Estate near Lichfield in Staffordshire dates from 1270 when local gentry used the land for hunting. The Estate is the home of St Thomas’s Priory Golf Club and historic Hawkesyard Hall which is a premier conference and wedding venue.
St Thomas’s Priory is a challenging 18-hole parkland championship golf course with ancient woodland and lakes built by Dominican Monks in the 19th century. The course is built on sandstone allowing the land to drain freely for all year round play. The modern club house offers first-class facilities including changing rooms, function room with private bar and Bar 19 where food and drinks are served all day to members and visitors.
St Thomas’s Priory Golf Course http://www.hawkesyardestate.com/st_thomas/index-start.htm
Flexi®-Pave http://www.kbius.com/productinfo.htm