In modern times the availability of water in this country, whether for domestic consumption or commercial uses, has been largely taken for granted, but the recent water shortages in the south and east of England have had an impact on this assumption. There have of course been droughts before, with the short-term condition of golf courses suffering accordingly, but the situation we find ourselves in today is potentially far more serious because of the changing nature of supply and demand. Firstly, when reservoirs dried up in 1976 there were far fewer golf courses in the UK than there are now. Secondly, the average water usage by golf clubs has increased significantly as a result of two related factors: the expectation of the golfing public (largely fuelled by the increased televising of golf and the increase in golf holidays abroad) to see greener grass, and the increased adoption of USGA construction specifications, which result in 'thirstier' tees and greens.

On the supply side, the current short-term drought situation is, unlike past shortages, viewed in the context of a broadly accepted process of global warming which, although the precise effects are subject to great debate, is undoubtedly contributing to uncertainty over the extent and reliability of future supply.

Storage Solutions

As the availability of water has not, until recent times, been such a major issue, few UK golf clubs have sufficient water capacity to cope with prolonged dry spells without a source of summer supply. Storage is often limited to one or two tanks, sufficient for no more than a couple of irrigation cycles.

If you are concerned about water provision for your golf course, there are a number of options that can be considered. Over-seeding with drought-tolerant grasses, improving the efficiency of irrigation systems and reducing loss of water from the site through the drainage network are all measures which can form part of a solution, but the most effective course of action is to reduce dependency on unreliable sources of supply by increasing storage capacity.

The ideal situation for a golf club would be to have sufficient reservoir capacity to build up a body of water over the winter months, whether through mains supply, river or borehole abstraction or direct rainfall and drainage, that would last through a summer drought. Where reservoirs do currently exist they are often of insufficient capacity and/or are in visible locations where low water levels would cause unsightly lining materials to show.

Weller Designs are combining with Irriplan - a firm of consulting engineers specialising in water resources, reservoir engineering and irrigation design for the golf market - to offer a full design, planning and construction supervision service for the creation of reservoirs and associated works, bringing together the range of specialists needed to implement a successful project. Our combined service will create a solution to water problems that is both technically efficient and visually harmonious with the surrounding landscape.

Golf Course Architects