PGA Pro Calls For 'Sensible Balance' Over Golf Course Water Management Following Driest July On Record

The UK is currently experiencing one of the driest summers since records began in 1836, with July being the driest ever recorded.

Officials recently declared 71.3% of England is in drought and the first hosepipe bans since 2010 have been imposed across the majority of the country.

This has restricted people from watering their gardens and green spaces, with warnings of hefty fines of up to £1,000. So, what does this mean for the golf courses and should they be following the same rules?

For anyone who tuned in to watch The Open last month at Royal Birkdale, it was clear to see the fairways and rough had been burnt-out, with the lush green look that would usually be imagined being long gone.

However, the tees and greens were still at the very best standard that you’d expect for golf’s most prestigious competition.

Away from The Open, local golf clubs up and down the country have the same look to them.

This is due to exemptions from the general hosepipe ban that are granted to clubs by their water companies. They allow the use of water on tees, greens and approach areas but in most areas the watering of fairways, roughs and aesthetic features are still strictly prohibited.

These specific exemptions are very complex, and change from water provider to water provider, depending on which company supplies the area.

However, in all regions that have imposed a hosepipe ban, sports fields such as cricket, golf and schools are alongside golf courses in being allowed to water the grass that is 'active uses of play'.

If we were to take London as an example, 17% of its green spaces are taken up by golf courses, a statistic that shows just how much water is needed to maintain the standard that is expected of them by visitors and members alike.

PGA Professional Tom Probin provided an industry perspective on the ban exemptions, and called for more consideration and 'controlled exemptions' for course courses, which will feel the affects of the 2026 summer drought for many months to come.

“I completely understand why hosepipe bans are needed during periods of drought, and I’m not saying golf courses should just be allowed to use as much water as they want. But I do think there needs to be a bit more consideration for golf courses and how they use water," Probin told Golf Monthly.

“As a golf professional, the course is essentially our product. We can accept fairways and rough drying out - that’s a natural part of a hot, dry summer. The bigger concern is the greens and tees. If those areas are allowed to deteriorate too much, you can cause damage that takes a long time to recover from, even when the rain eventually comes.

“The drought is also having a noticeable effect on how the course plays. The ground is much firmer and faster, so the ball is running a lot further, particularly on fairways. You’re getting more uneven lies and different bounces around the greens, and the course can play quite differently from what golfers are used to.

"That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can actually create some interesting challenges, but it does change the way you have to play the course."

Probin believes clubs should be allowed 'controlled' exemptions to use water thanks to the modern technology available that allows for precise detail on which particular areas require more water, and which don't.

“I think there should be some sort of controlled exemption for golf courses, with clubs having to demonstrate that they’re using water responsibly and only irrigating the areas that genuinely need it," he said.

"Modern irrigation systems and moisture monitoring also mean clubs can be much more precise with how they use water than they have been in the past.

“It shouldn’t be about golf getting special treatment or keeping every part of a course perfectly green. I think golfers understand that courses are going to look different during a drought.

"But if a club can show that it’s managing its water properly, I think it’s reasonable to allow them to protect the greens and tees and keep the course playable.

“Ultimately, it’s about finding a sensible balance between conserving water and protecting the course. Golf courses are businesses, they employ people and they’re also large areas of managed green space, so I think they deserve to be part of the conversation rather than simply being treated the same as domestic hosepipe use.”

These exemptions, while still having compromises and not completely ignoring the hosepipe ban, have - perhaps understandably - not been universally accepted by people outside of the game of golf looking in.

Writing in The Guardian last month, Cat Hobbs, Director of We Own It which campaigns for public services for people not profit, said “private school playing fields are staying lush and green while everywhere else, flowers wilt, parks go brown, and kids can’t stay in the paddling pool.”

“We can discuss who should get to access water in a drought - and in fact public ownership would make those discussions easier - but the best thing would be to invest in the infrastructure to stop leaks and protect water for everyone, including golfers," Hobbs told Golf Monthly.

Some courses have followed this model recently and put money towards cutting reliability on water companies.

For example, Old Colwyn Golf Club in North Wales announced plans to build a clear water and waste recycling system with an aim of going completely self-sufficient.

Willingdon Golf Club in East Sussex have also recently raised more than £30,000 in just over two weeks to install a borehole and move away from relying on the exemptions of water companies.

It is fairly unlikely that there will be any harsher stipulations brought in on golf courses, as a complete ban that stops golf courses from using mains water entirely would require a formal, government-approved drought order.

"Water, like many other natural resources, is variable in its supply," The R&A's Golf Course 2030 resource says.

"Over the last 40-50 years, golf courses have become increasingly reliant on artificial irrigation to maintain and improve turfgrass quality.

"All golf courses have a duty to themselves, and to the wider environment to ensure that their water sourcing strategies are sustainable and secure for long-term use."

With the summer nearing an end, greenkeepers around the country will be one of many groups looking forward to some much-needed rain.

This particular drought has been historic, and it will take a long time to recover from. There will surely be plenty of learnings to take into the future.