The battle to save the links courses disappearing into the sea
The reality of coastal erosion
Links courses are some of our greatest golfing treasures and it’s a sobering thought – when standing and looking over a glorious dunescape – that some may soon no longer exist.
Extreme weather is here to stay and the planet’s climate will continue to shift over the coming decades as the world gets progressively warmer.
That will naturally have a huge effect on those golf courses situated closest to the sea.
The worst-case scenario sees the likes of St Andrews under water but, in reality, they, and their like, have the resources to either delay or alter the threat.
But there are others that will inevitably bear the brunt as rising sea levels, freak storms and the natural process of erosion inevitably take their toll.
Will they be able to realign and rebuild their courses or will the cost claim them as well as their precious turf?
As Royal North Devon’s Mark Evans concludes: “If the predictions are correct then a lot of links courses are really going to start to suffer.”
Is your club suffering from the affects of coastal erosion? We’d love to hear from you. Let us know in the comments below or tweet us.
Where would you like to go next?
How Montrose is falling into the North Sea
Formby’s future-proofing plan for new holes
How Royal North Devon lost 20 metres in three nights
Is Abersoch an avoidable catastrophe?
The affect of coastal erosion on golfing communities
What can be done to tackle coastal erosion?
How Royal Dornoch is fighting coastal erosion
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
