PITY the Scottish golfer, used to braving the elements and the occasional unexpected water hazard to make the most of the country's world-renowned courses. But things are about to grow even worse, according to the first study to investigate the impact of climate change on the home of golf.
A report by the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) warns that hot, dry summers and wetter winters could change the way courses play, alternately parching greens and waterlogging fairways.
Staff at the STRI in Glasgow and Stirling have spent two years studying 30 courses as part of an £ 80,000 project to ensure that one of Scotland's most important industries is prepared for climate change.
They say with 9% more rainfall from October to March each year compared with a decade ago, fungal diseases are likely to become a bigger problem. Drier summers are likely to increase wear on greens and make putting more of a lottery. The research is being sent to clubs in order to ensure they are prepared to adapt.
It is also understood that a SportScotland audit of sports facilities due to be published later this year will cite climate change as one of the biggest threats facing the country's golf industry, worth more than £ 100m each year.
Jonathan Smith, of the Scottish Golf Environment Group, which sponsored the research, said: "Visiting golfers from America and Japan expect to play on firm, fast Scottish golf courses - that is the overall perception. The climate change we are seeing is going to make things difficult, giving softer conditions in the autumn, through the winter, and drier, more variable greens in the summer. That is the last thing you need if you are trying to promote your golf course in a consistent way."
In the past, climatic concerns have focused on the threat from rising sea levels and coastal erosion. Up to 70% of links courses are thought to be at risk, including Turnberry and the Jubilee course at St Andrews.
Loch Lomond, one of Scotland's most prestigious courses and home of the Scottish Open, which starts on Thursday, has been plagued by heavy rain. In 2002, leading players complained that it was unplayable and huge areas of fairway had to be reconstructed. Flooding also caused problems during the Solheim Cup at Loch Lomond in 2000, when bare patches of grass had to be dyed so that the greens looked presentable to television viewers.
Today's report warns that the changing climate is expected to alter wildlife found on courses, with potentially damaging effect. It says chafer grubs, previously found only in England, have spread north to Scotland during the past two years. They feed on grass roots below ground and are capable of turning greens into browns.
Wetter autumns are also predicted to increase problems with worm casts which can spoil otherwise pristine greens.
However the biggest pest threat is fusarium, a fungus which can scar greens for months at a time.
Mr Smith said: "We might see more disease, we might see more damage from pests, we might see more worm activity and more weeds. That might suggest using more chemicals but the research says clubs should look to traditional greenkeeping techniques."
He suggests storing winter rainfall in ponds that can be used to supplement irrigation during the summer as one way of smoothing out the effects of changing weather patterns.
The report's authors conclude that careful management of water and a return to traditional greenkeeping techniques will minimise disruption. The report recommends aeration, to ensure good drainage, as well as keeping a close eye on thatch - a build up of dead vegetation which holds water like a sponge - and compacted soil.
Richard Windows, of the STRI in Glasgow, said: "If clubs don't do anything, they will see more green closures, more course closures, more disease - mostly fusarium patch - and more drought-stressed turf, reducing the playing quality."
Kevin Weir, club service manager of the Scottish Golf Union, said the research would be used as a best-practice guide for its member clubs. "A lot of clubs focus on other elements of clubhouse or golf course maintenance and we have to get them back to thinking about thatch compaction, disease and pest management, water management," he said.
"We want to make sure that greenkeepers are not restricted by budgets which were being diverted to putting a new carpet in the clubhouse."
The Scottish golf establishment began alerting inland clubs to the threat of varying climate several years ago. Agronomists launched their study after rain washed out large chunks of play during the summer of 2002.
Some clubs reported losing as much as £ 500 a day, as visitors stayed home while their shops stayed empty and bars were deserted.
golf in scotland
There is no definite answer as to where the name golf originated, but is thought to derive from the Scots words golve, gowl, or gouf.
The earliest known reference to the sport dates to 1457, when King James II of Scotland banned golf and football, on the grounds that both pursuits were keeping his subjects from their archery practice.
Scotland is home to about 540 golf courses, which cover some 30,000 hectares in total. Golf tourism is worth almost £ 119m to the Scottish economy each year, with about £ 66m spent on the sport by visitors from overseas, predominantly from the US.
About 210,000 people from around the UK visit Scotland to play golf, and 90,000 come from abroad.
The Scottish Executive estimates that every £ 1 spent on a golf course generates £ 5 for the wider economy. Five of the current Open courses are in Scotland: St Andrews, Troon, Carnoustie, Turnberry, and Muirfield.
Source: The Herald (Glasgow)
