‘It could save the greens.’ A sentence that sums up a major project involving 5,000 cubic metres of water and a storage pond at the traditional French club Golf de Chantilly. Behind the figure of 5,000 m³ lie fundamental questions: How valuable is water for a golf course if it could potentially ensure its existence? How much water does a high-quality course really need to maintain that quality? How many members will a golf club lose if the quality declines? Ultimately, the question is: how much water is required to ensure a golf club’s economic survival in the future?
Long-term water strategy
At Golf de Chantilly, they began asking themselves these questions almost ten years ago. Perhaps this was because the then managing director, Rémý Dorbeau, president of the French Greenkeepers Federation, had an expert insider’s view of France’s increasingly stringent water extraction regulations and was also well-placed to assess the impact of climate change on greenkeeping.
Now, his successor, Inigo Ceballos, stands with the golf course’s superintendent, Thomas Meunier, in front of the construction site at the 17th hole, looking at the reservoir that will hold 5,000 m³ of water. It will be completed by the end of this year. It is the culmination of many projects that will ultimately come together to form a comprehensive water strategy.
The local water authorities have granted Golf de Chantilly 40,000 m³ of water to extract from the groundwater for 42 holes. Previously, it was 56,000 m³, but because state subsidies were provided for the reservoir, the amount was reduced. The reasoning is simple: those who improve their water infrastructure need less water. The greenkeeping consumed 42,000 m³ in 2024. 2025 was a passable year in terms of rainfall, with 550 mm per year. What the future holds for the north of Paris remains to be seen. However, temperatures have already risen so much that Bermuda grass will be sown on the Longères course because it is heat-tolerant and requires little water.
Integration of roof drainage
The reservoir at the 17th hole of the Vineuil course is located at the lowest point of the area, and some of the water in it comes from the clubhouse roof. Golf de Chantilly has accumulated a great deal of expertise in roof drainage over the summer. The clubhouse is historic, dating back to 1909. ‘There were a lot of surprises when we started working on the piping,’ explains Meunier. According to Ceballos, the expected yield is around 5000 m³ of water over the course of a year. It is piped from the clubhouse to a natural filter pond, which will be lined with several layers of sand, gravels and reeds to ensure that purified water flows from there into the reservoir. Filter plants will be added on top of the sand.
The roof, the storage pond, and the Bermuda grass on Longères are just three pieces of the puzzle in an overall strategy that also included a complete renovation of the irrigation system on the Vineuil course. The high quality of the 18-hole course is essential for the golf club. The European Women’s Team Championship was held here in 2025. Vineuil is one of the five best golf courses in France and hosts high-class tournaments every year. It is the core component of a golf club for which tournament golf is part of its identity.
1300 sprinklers replaced
Twenty-five of the golf course’s 42 holes now have double-row fairway irrigation, 1,300 sprinklers have been replaced, the number of sprinklers on the greens has been doubled, and the pumps have been renewed. “The old irrigation system was 45 years old and inefficient, the programming system was not working well. The water flow wasn’t efficient any more, especially the old sprinklers and the lack of pressure in the system. After such a long time, the plastic pipes become brittle,” recalls Meunier. Three years ago, another storage pond was renovated right next to the driving range, which now collects all the drainage water from this area. The greening was planned in collaboration with nature conservation experts. The area now also serves as a hotspot for dragonflies.
All these measures have cost the golf club, which is a classic members’ club, around three million Euros in recent years. Government subsidies, donations and a special levy were necessary. The greenkeeping team carried out a large proportion of the work themselves.
The management and the executive committee took two years to communicate the necessary information to the membership. ‘We held several information evenings, presented the project and offered the membership several options,’ explains Meunier. The process was not easy, but it worked.
Should the water situation worsen, the club is considering plans to drain the entire access road and car parks. The issue of water conservation and water extraction has not yet been fully explored. But it is clear that those responsible have taken up the challenge of dealing with water scarcity and are responding with a great deal of detail.
On the day of our meeting, Meunier looks at the bunker edges, which shine in a light green. After a lot of sand accumulates on the bunker fronts during the season, he and his team brush these edges and then reseed them with fine fescues and Koeleria macrantha . An additive ensures that the seeds stick to the edges and retain water. ‘In March, everything will be full of grass again.’ During his time as a greenkeeper at The National Golf Club in Australia, a private 72-hole top-class facility, Meunier ‘learned what drought and low water really mean.’ Now he can handle it.
As in Australia, he has to deliver the best possible playing surfaces for golfers at Golf de Chantilly. As he explains all this, he looks at front green of the 16th hole and laughs contentedly. ‘With the new irrigation system, I now have much better grass coverage here.’ Do the golfers notice? ‘No, most of them probably don’t, but the overall impression counts.’
This project phase on the subject of water, which has lasted more than ten years, will come to a provisional end at the turn of the year with the filling of the storage pond. However, the water management issue will continue forever. But you can sense the club management’s confidence and a particular self-assurance: the water management topic has been on the agenda for years. It has been solved – and that is also crucial for the economic future of the club.
