THERE may soon be more birdies seen on Newport’s Tredegar Park Golf Course – of the flying variety.

With support from the Woodland Trust, 20,000 native trees have been planted on the course, giving players a more challenging and varied round of golf and providing birds, animals and pollinating insects with a bigger and better habitat.

Oak, silver birch and wild cherry have been planted, creating 68 acres of new woodland.

Norman Drewett, the club captain for 2013, said: “Over the years, our members have appreciated the shelter, beauty and interest provided by trees.

“The club moved to a new course in 2000, on the undulating hills of Rogerstone, just outside Newport. When the Jubilee Woods Campaign was announced we saw the opportunity of planting many of the wide open spaces on the course, making it more challenging to players and also helping with the drainage around the course.

“It will be a number of years before the trees fully mature, but the benefits to the golf course will be seen year on year.”

The project is part of the Woodland Trust’s Jubilee Woods Campaign, aiming to plant six million trees to celebrate the reign of Queen Elizabeth ll.

New woodland at the golf course has been recognised as one of only 19 Princess Woods in the UK, each with an area of at least 60 acres and each representing a year in the Queen’s life before she ascended to the throne.