More than a Gathering Storm
Robert Thompson, who has a great golf blog, wrote an article for the May/June issue of Travel + Leisure Golf magazine titled, “A Gathering Storm”. Robert brings to attention something that has long been an impact to seaside golf courses - the loss of land from erosion.
Robert highlights what some courses are constructing, and paying, to save their seaside holes. Where I disagree with Robert is that this has become a bigger threat recently because of climate change.
Most ocean courses have faced some degree of erosion during the past century, but the problem has grown in recent years.
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It may take a disaster that irreparably damages a famed course to force golf and political organizations to confront the issue head-on.
There is no more harsh of an environment for a golf course (or any other land development) to exist than seaside. The salty air and water is a continuous poison to turf. The howling winds that act as a constant sand paper to everything it touches. You have hurricanes, tsunamis and nor’easters that threaten to wipe out a golf course at any moment. Then there is the constant and never ending slamming of waves. None of this is new - and it’s not getting worse.
The fact of the matter is that a golf course is not an ideal development for seaside land. It never has been - yet it is the most coveted location for a golf course. The sandy soil, the beautiful dunes are all a perfect attraction. But the odds are stacked against a seaside golf course - in particular in the United States because of the more volatile seaside weather we have here.
Robert’s characterization that this is a problem of the last century is a bit misleading. Nearly every golf course built in the United States occurred after 1900. Noticeable erosion often takes decades to occur. We are now seeing that with courses built seaside in the 1920s to 1980s. In 50 years time, we’ll be talking about the problems facing seaside courses today. Of course, most seaside courses built in the last century would be illegal to build today because of environmental regulations.
The problems these courses face is of their own making. The sea has been taking land for millions of years - placing a golf hole within feet of crashing waves and then crying foul with the sea does its thing is a bit preposterous.
If Pebble Beach loses its 18th to the Pacific, it will be a sad day. However, no politician is going to stick his/her neck out and cry about a golf course that charges upwards of $500 for 5 hours of entertainment for the rich and famous. I’m not exactly clear what Robert expects politicians or golf organizations to do about “the issue”. In fact, I’m not even sure what the issue is - is it climate change, soil erosion from wave action, loss of property due to natural disaster?
A far greater threat to our golf courses comes not in the form of climate change, but economic change. According to the NGF, the United States lost 146 18-hole equivalents last year. None of those came at the hands of global warming. The worst part of that is most of those courses were either par 3/executive courses or 9-hole courses with green fees under $25. That is a far greater threat to the long term health of the game than mother nature could ever want to be.
(Image Credit: Scottish Natural Heritage)
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An interesting site you have here and one that I’ll surely be turning to on a regular basis. Thanks for the nod on the story.
I don’t think I characterized this issue as a problem of the last century. It is an accute problem facing courses now — though many have had problems of this nature for a while. It just seems they are worsening.
But I don’t agree the problem is the courses’ fault. Weather patterns have changed, and the inability of some governments to develop coastal policies is a contributing factor. If one area builds up its coastline, another loses sand, and so on. This needs a general policy.
To say this isn’t an issue that is having a greater impact on more courses is to ignore the problem. Ask the GM at Dornoch about their issue. Explain the problems in PEI or the change in currents in South Carolina.
In fact, the R&A recently had a summit of links courses that all suddenly face this issue. Some have had problems before, but not the same extent. Call it climate change, global warming or whatever — but this problem is getting worse. Thus the story.
Best and keep up the intriguing site.
RT
Robert - appreciate the response. I’ll continue to watch the situation and I hope you keep us (i.e. the golfing public) up on the changing conditions to the golf courses you mentioned in your article. I’m going to look into the R&A summit - hopefully there is some information available from that meeting.
I do agree that erosion is having a major impact on golf courses - and you’re right, whatever the cause - these golf courses face major challenges.
If it continues to be economically feasible to battle mother nature will, ultimately, be the story.