ABSTRACT
Buckinghamshire farmers are following a variety of strategies which involve the reconstitution of assets, notably land, and diversification of their businesses. In certain instances land use itself can be diversified, notably, as we saw in the previous chapter, into sport and recreation activities. One increasingly prominent use of former agricultural land in the Se is golf courses. Golf is attractive to many landowners as it holds the promise of using land for substantially increased levels of income. Furthermore, as we shall see below, the planning rules surrounding golf course development have been in a state of flux and many planning departments have been uncertain of the proper approach towards these developments. Golf is also interesting because it has traditionally been associated with the middle class and golf courses have been a long-standing feature of suburban and rural landscapes, although there is nothing specifically rural about the sport itself (unlike, for instance, shooting or fishing). Golf is perceived to be “green” in the sense that a golf course retains features that are recognizably “natural” – trees, grass, lakes etc. – however artificial the “whole”. It seems to “fit” in the new rural spaces.
