The golf industry has been urged to make water security a central part of its long-term business planning, with representatives from the GCMA, BIGGA, England Golf and the water industry warning that clubs need to move away from reliance on potable water and invest in greater resilience.
Speaking on a GCMA Insights episode of Golf Club Talk UK, GCMA CEO Tom Brooke described water management and security as “the single biggest challenge that the golf industry faces”, pointing to increasingly dry summers, wetter winters, rising water costs and growing restrictions on water use.
The discussion also sought to address concerns and misinformation surrounding future water restrictions. Brooke stressed that clubs are not facing the prospect of their water supplies being switched off next year, while highlighting the need for clubs to understand where they stand and begin planning for the longer term. “Taps are not being turned off next year,” he said, adding that the industry needs to provide clubs with greater clarity around the targets and solutions required.
Andrew Tucker of Thames Water said golf was not being specifically targeted, but was highly visible because irrigation is something the public can readily see. He argued that the sector could instead become a leader in water resilience, particularly by reducing its dependence on drinking-quality water for irrigation. “The majority of the water that is being used on a course is irrigation. There's no need for that in the longer term to be drinking quality,” Tucker said.
Tucker explained that the UK has a national target to reduce the total amount of water entering public supply by 20% by 2038, with business water consumption required to follow a downward trajectory. The target calls for a 9% reduction in business consumption by 2038 and 15% by 2050, against a 2019/20 baseline. He said golf needs to become more self-sufficient by developing alternative water sources and sufficient on-site storage to withstand periods of drought.
Smart metering was identified as another important part of the solution. Mike Gray of Castle Water said some clubs had mistakenly believed smart meters could give wholesalers the ability to remotely switch off their supply, describing that as a myth. Instead, smart meters provide much more detailed information on consumption, allowing clubs, retailers and wholesalers to identify unusual usage and leaks far more quickly. Tucker said the technology could provide 24 readings a day rather than just a handful each year, making water management increasingly data-driven.
The panel also stressed that water security is not solely about major infrastructure projects such as reservoirs. England Golf's Head of Sustainability Kirstin McEvoy said clubs should start planning as early as possible because major projects can take years to secure approval and funding. At the same time, there are immediate opportunities to reduce consumption, including repairing irrigation systems and addressing leaks in clubhouses. Tucker highlighted that an average leaking toilet in a business can waste more than 1,000 litres of water a day.
The industry bodies are now working with the water industry through the Retailer and Wholesalers Group (RWG) on a new evidence-gathering exercise designed to establish how golf clubs currently source and use water, how much storage exists and where the biggest barriers to greater resilience lie. A new survey and “state of the nation” report are expected shortly. Brooke said the collaboration represented an important opportunity for golf to influence future policy and regulation, while urging clubs to participate. “This now is about the viability of our sport for the next generation,” he said.
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