Better equipped for extreme weather
Many clubs are preparing for the next extreme weather. Finally, heavy thunderstorms and rainfall become more frequent. When it comes to the weather, an elephant’s memory is therefore also helpful for golfers. Looking back over the long term, we can see how weather patterns change. In Schleswig-Holstein, where the year 2024 began with extreme humidity, 2023 was already a real eye-opener: the second sunniest June ever, combined with a dry May, caused drought in many places and sinking groundwater in parts of the state. Instead, it rained 26 out of 31 days in July and in October the Baltic Sea coast was hit by one of the heaviest storm surges ever experienced. So there can no longer be any talk of relaxed weather conditions in the golf business. For the golf courses in the far north, this means that even here, where no one actually suspects drought, you have to worry about water shortages. On the other hand, extreme rainfall puts golf courses under water, making greenkeeping impossible at times due to the wet ground.
On the mainland at Förde Golf-Club Glücksburg, head greenkeeper Frank Hansen has been focusing on and continuously improving the drainage systems since last year. 1200 instead of the usual 800 to 900 millimetres of precipitation fell in 2023, but this also had a positive side effect. The rainwater ponds, which have not yet been used for irrigation, were full to the brim. To date, the golf course has used water from the deep well and the quantity remains well below the official upper limit.
Fairway irrigation is no longer an issue
This gives other clubs in Schleswig-Holstein food for thought. “We actively decided at a board meeting not to make any more major investments in fairway irrigation,” explains Peter Gloistein, member of the executive committee at Mittelholstein GC Aukrug. After all, it is not known what the outcome of the extension of the current water withdrawal permit will be and the development of water prices is also an open issue. “That can be quite expensive in the long run,” suspects Gloistein, who, together with his fellow board members, is now in the process of communicating the changeover in greenkeeping to the club members. “We used to keep our course completely green because the water was there.” In the future, brown tones could also creep onto the fairways during periods of drought. However, this trend can be observed throughout Europe and by no means automatically equates to a reduction in the quality of the game.
A similar view is taken at GC Escheburg, where the issue of water management has been a priority since 2023. The 18-hole course, which has been recertified with gold several times as part of the Golf & Nature project, is supplied with well water. The aim is to use this more sparingly in the long term, summarizes course manager Thomas Nowak, who is now testing the use of moisture meters on two greens together with the greenkeeping team. “On the other hand, we measure the other greens by hand on a random basis to determine how much water they really need,” he reports on the club’s experience. All in all, this has resulted in increasing water savings, which will also help the company to score points in the next dry phase.
A similar concept is followed at the Gut Grambek Golf Club, where the sandy soil means that drainage problems are rare, but the club wants to be prepared for the next dry spell. “Yes, we are preparing for extreme weather,” says the First Vice President Ingo Bernien fixed. “In the first step, we digitized our entire irrigation system for the course. In the second step, we are currently in the process of equipping the individual greens with direct control.” This allows the water to be applied to the greens in a more targeted and economical manner. Moisture meters are also used here. “Although we have our own well, the amount we are allowed to draw is limited,” Bernien points out. With our measures, we are using the water better than in the past and at the same time we are better prepared for longer dry periods.”
Increasing number of tournament cancellations
An approach that is also supported by Kolja Hause, Head of the office of the Schleswig-Holstein Golf Association. “We are seeing that we are increasingly having to live with cancellations and postponements due to extreme weather, especially when it comes to the organization of tournaments in the association’s area. Unfortunately, we cannot ignore this issue.” The foresighted handling of heavy rainfall or drought is therefore exemplary, says Hause. “The more clubs that join this movement, the better.”
