London, England: The British and International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association (BIGGA) has launched a survey aimed at getting a better understanding of the issues and challenges surrounding water management on golf courses in Great Britain and Ireland.

Golf club managers, course managers, head greenkeepers and club owners are being urged to complete the survey, which covers areas around water usage, sourcing and supply, with a view to collating robust data to develop a far stronger picture of the current situation and future challenges.

A BIGGA spokesperson said: “Over the past few months, Great Britain and Ireland has experienced one of the driest spells on record and this immediately follows an unprecedently long period of wet weather, with many months of record rainfall having been recorded over the past two years.

“These extreme climatic conditions are fast becoming the norm, and bringing a genuine threat to the sustainability of golf courses. 

“It is clear that very many golf facilities are in urgent need of finding long-term, sustainable solutions for water management, including irrigation and drainage.

“Such solutions are complicated with resilient water sourcing, infrastructure issues, costs, legislation and planning implications all meaning this is a major concern for the Great Britain and Ireland golf industry.

“The survey data will be utilised by the governing bodies of golf across GB&I for the benefit of the industry.”