The Achental Golf: Creating habitats with water

If you want to talk about water, you’ve come to the right place. There are plenty of them, totaling 30,000 square meters of ponds. The golf course of the Golf Resort Achental in Chiemgau/Germany does not draw its difficulties from extreme length – but rather from tricky greens and plenty of wet. It is an 18-hole course on formerly agricultural land, which documents how large-scale water areas can be created with comparatively little effort, which are ecologically valuable, playfully attractive and optically a pleasure.

“In principle, I am positively impressed,” summarized Wolfgang Selbertinger from the Lower Nature Conservation Authority of the Traunstein District Office after an on-site visit to the facility. He oversaw the construction of the golf course from the beginning until the opening in 2013. “The water surfaces have become connecting axes that run through the entire area.” Gunther Hardt, Biodiversity Officer of the German Golf Association , agrees: “Here you can really experience the Chiemgau as a golfer. Nature and golf come together here.”

Planting developed without outside intervention

Start of the construction phase for the renaturation of the Moosbach

Development of the Moosbach after a few years

How did the agricultural area become today’s golf landscape on 68 hectares, through which the 18 holes run?

Due to the already high level of groundwater on the site, the creation of ponds was obvious. These were dug out of the ground over a large area, not lined with foil and then not planted or seeded.
For Wolfgang Selbertinger, who accompanied the construction, both were positive: “The installation of a foil is always rather negative from a nature conservation point of view, because it is tantamount to sealing. Many life forms can usually be found in the bottom of a pond. Here we also had remnants of peat soil that just had the potential to develop plants. In fact, irises and numerous other species can now be found in the ponds.
A visual highlight is now the renatured Moosbach, which runs through four of the holes. When construction began, this was a straight watercourse that ran unmoved through the site. Flood zones, alternating wet areas, smaller plant islands and an overall dynamic and natural structure can be found here. The creek renaturation and the periodically wet areas extend over 24,000 square meters.

What is the best way to maintain large bodies of water?

“Basically, one often hears that it is best to leave all areas to their own devices,” explains Selbertinger. Depending on how nutrient-rich the water surfaces are, however, the removal of reeds and plants is extremely important in order to remove nutrients from the surfaces. The following applies: Here, too, mowing is done in autumn so as not to endanger any living beings or disturb them when they are breeding. Exception: “From time to time, in consultation with the Lower Nature Conservation Authority, you can schedule a second mowing in the first half of the year.”

And how do you sensibly create water areas?

Caution: anyone who thinks that creating a small pond can be done quickly and without any problems is mistaken. Interventions in the water balance in Bavaria require permits under water law in almost all cases, and there is often also an assessment from a nature conservation point of view. This applies not only to a large reservoir, but also to a small pond. In this respect, advice from the responsible district office is absolutely sensible.

If you then want useful tips for designing and planting the pond, it is best to contact the Lower Nature Conservation Authority, which will help here free of charge and also knows the local conditions well.

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The Achental Golf: Creating habitats with water

Artificial pond without foil

Planting developed without outside intervention

Start of the construction phase for the renaturation of the Moosbach

Renovation just completed

Development of the Moosbach after a few years

golfsustainable

The Achental Golf: Creating habitats with water

Artificial pond without foil

Planting developed without outside intervention

Start of the construction phase for the renaturation of the Moosbach

Renovation just completed

Development of the Moosbach after a few years

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golfsustainable