The battle to save the links courses disappearing into the sea
So what can we do to tackle coastal erosion?
If coastal erosion is largely a natural process then can clubs do anything to protect their courses from the ravages of nature? Here are some of the many measures that can restrict, or prevent, damage…
Adaptive management – Accept that erosion will happen and deal with it. You might have to move tees and greens but that could cost less than trying to build defences to halt the rate of decay.
Plant dune grasses – The idea is that planting helps to trap and stabilise the sand. Marram grasses can develop yellow dunes and form a barrier that limits the effects of waves. It doesn’t so much stop erosion as provide a buffer and accelerate recovery.
Dune fencing – Fences line the seaward face of dunes and encourage wind blown sand to be deposited. They can also help recovery but they need regular maintenance and only have a five-year shelf life.
Beach re-profiling – Now it starts to get a bit more expensive. Shift a load of sand, or shingle, from where deposits are being formed and move them to the hardest hit areas. The problem is that you can simply be moving the erosion problem from one area to another
Sand bags – Yes, you can use these to effectively block a beach but waves, sunlight and even vandalism makes it an unstable way of sorting the problem.
Rock walls – They armour the dune face, spread the impact of the waves and stop the shoreline eroding. It’s expensive and changes the nature of the beach.
Sea walls – Popular in the past, they are usually concrete structures that slope down to the beach and provide a fixed line of defence. They’re expensive and have a huge effect on the environment.
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How Royal Dornoch is fighting coastal erosion
Explore more:
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
The stark reality of 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.
