Flora & Fauna
As a wildlife habitat, the Portmarnock spit, locally know as The Velvet Strand, is a suitable environment for a wide variety of flora and fauna. Such relatively unspoilt terrain of seashore, beach, and mudflats so close to a capital city is unique in Europe. The peninsula evolved from sand build-up, deposited by the tide and waves of the Irish Sea on one side, and silt and mud build-up from the Baldoyle estuary, itself an area of Special Scientific Interest, on the other.
Throughout the calendar year golfers and enthusiasts are treated to a wonderland of birdlife from the immediate vicinity of the first tee that will allow unaided observation of waders such as Redshank, Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Heron, Curlew, Oystercatcher, plus great aerial waves of Knot, Dunlin and Golden Plover. Also some Little Egrets, lately arrived to live in Ireland. During the Autumn/Winter migration specialities such as small numbers of Whimbrel, Red-breasted Merganser, Great-crested Grebe, and Great Northern Divers arrive to compliment the normal winter populations of close to 1,000 Brent Geese, Mallard, Teal, Wigeon and more unusual species such as Pintail and Shoveller.
Passing from the second to the third hole, in Springtime you can spot our speciality orchid, the brick red coloured Marsh orchid and a little later, the Marsh helleborine hidden at ponds and small hollows in the company of Ladies bedstraw, Restharrow and the ubiquitous rose of Portmarnock, the Burnet rose. Then index 1, the 4th as the drive takes you down a dune slack, hiding the sea on the right with hills topped with Marram and Eel grass skirted by the tall introduced Monteray Pines from 50 years ago.
The fifth and sixth are part of the dune slack processes of the past and have their aging flora population, represented by Common spotted-orchids, Pyramidal orchids, Fragrant orchids and a small stand of Bee orchids. Up the long 6th there are more inland grasses but still sand lovers like Yellow Rattle, Bitter and Kidney-vetch and tussocks where the Meadow Pipits and Sky larks like to nest and raise their young. If you’re lucky this is where you spot migrating Short-eared Owls who delight in daytime aerobatics, moving down country. A large pond guarding the second shot is host to Waterlilies before you turn uphill to leave your cart at the short 7thtee.
Seven, eight and nine turn back towards the clubhouse and you pass the ponds at two holes one of which at seven has a unique clump of Black bog rush looking down on the hatching waters for Dragonflies and the second pond at nine is now home to a wintering Dabchick.The hollows in these slacks are good areas to spot the odd stand of Cowslips. Gorse country now from 9, 10 and 11 to the 12th and home to a few wily Foxes and probably Badgers. Not many Rabbits as they tend to be further out on the course but an increasing population of canny Hares.
Up onto the 12th and the 13th tee where the golfer gets his first real view of the sea out to the islands, Lambay to the left and Ireland’s Eye to the right and, at the correct time of the year, can be seen Common terns and maybe a rare Little tern, young Gannets and a seafaring Raven making his way home to Howth. The 14th tee is guarded by a few pines and it is around here that you might hear the callings of young Kestrels in the breeding season. You follow the fairway to the short 15th, our signature hole where it bounds the sea and in the wild post Equinox weather you will see the hosts of Herring, Great black-backed and Common Gulls feasting on the shore line as they feed on the strewn shells of whelks, razor shells, telling and gapers. The teebox is normally overseen by an ebullient Stonechat or two.
We are on the way home now, up the par five 16th, the long and difficult 17th and the 18th nicely bunkered, framing the clubhouse and for the naturalist, depending on the time of year, you may be treated to the sights of lots of Redwing as they move down from Iceland, searching for food.
Do bear in mind that this is only a small trip into the ecological treasures of Portmarnock.