How Are Golf Courses Across The UK Tackling The Extreme Heat

Summer in Britain always seems to cause problems on and off the course, with the soaring temperatures and lack of rain meaning restrictions are being put in place to get through the abnormal weather conditions.

As golf courses firm up and the grass goes from a luscious green to a crispy brown, greenkeepers, managers and staff in the industry are trying their very best to combat the intense heat which continues to tear through the country.

It appears that many clubs have implemented smoking bans on the golf course, something that people may remember happened in 2018, with dozens of golf courses in the UK notifying members that smoking wasn't allowed while the country continued to go through a heatwave. 

Back in 2018, the Golf Club Managers Association (GCMA) found 60% of clubs in the UK temporarily banned smoking from their courses because of the dry grass and the threat of fires.

Such is the heatwave that the UK is going through now, some courses have adapted their opening and working times, with some golf clubs closing altogether because the high temperatures are a health and safety hazard to the staff and members. 

Check out the effect of the heatwave to Lickey Hills Golf Course below:

The most affected individuals though are the greenkeepers who, during not just this summer period, but also through winter, are struggling to keep the course in prime condition as the weather continues to play havoc.

Speaking to a local greenkeeper, he listed just some of the problems that he is facing during the summer months. "To start, there is the lack of water because of the huge amounts of evaporation from the lakes and grounds at the moment," he explains. 

"Managing what we have left in the lakes is a nightmare, especially to keep the greens going. We can't water the tees and there is also a high footfall on them with people out on the course, so we are having to wait and see how much grass comes back once the conditions change. This means that we have no idea how much it will cost to recover them with seeds and fertilizers.

"It's not just the extreme heat, but it's the length of time we have gone without rain. If anything, that is our biggest problem as we can't replenish the lakes and the ground can't cool off a little. Because the ground is so, so dry, for me, we are moving green maintenance to a later date, waiting until the weather turns a little, but this is just the modern way of greenkeeping, you have to adapt and use your initiative."