Technical Note 1: Lessons from a Very Wet Winter | The Sustainable Golf Course Project

Preparing Golf Courses for the Next Wet Season - Part 1 of 5

A flooded golf green and fairway after heavy rain, with standing water in the foreground and a bunker partly submerged

Introduction

Last winter created serious playability problems on many golf courses.

Prolonged rainfall, saturated soils and concentrated traffic led to muddy walk-offs, soft fairways and growing pressure on greens staff to keep courses open.

Many clubs are now asking this question:

What can we do to avoid the same problems next winter?

This note outlines practical steps that clubs can take during the coming months to improve winter playability and make better decisions about drainage and course management.

Key points for golf clubs

Wet winters are becoming the norm rather than the exception

Many problems are caused by compaction and surface sealing, preventing water reaching drains

The months after a wet winter are the best time to record and investigate problem areas

Avoid drainage work, slicing or spiking while soils remain saturated

Plan drainage works for late summer or early autumn when ground conditions are suitable

The decision guide below summarises the most common causes of winter drainage problems and the questions clubs should consider before committing to major drainage works.

Winter Drainage Decision Guide flowchart: before installing more drains, check whether water is lying on the surface after rain, whether it can reach existing pipes, and whether those pipes are functioning, before deciding between restoring surface permeability, repairing existing drains, or installing new drainage

1. What to do now (late winter / early spring)

Before the course dries out and memories fade, clubs should record where winter problems occurred.

Typical winter problems: surface water, machinery rutting and traffic damage on saturated ground

Record where problems occurred
Photograph wet or damaged areas
Map problem locations on the course
Identify muddy walk-offs and path exits
Note areas damaged by machinery

Avoid major drainage or aeration work while soils remain saturated. Operations such as gravel banding, slicing or trenching carried out in wet conditions can damage the soil and increase compaction, which can take years to recover.

2. What to do when the ground dries (late spring / summer)

As soil conditions improve, more effective work becomes possible. Typical actions include:

Checking drain outfalls and clearing any that are blocked
Digging trial pits to locate drains and checking flows with water and dye
Identifying and tracing sealed gravel drains that might be refreshed with new gravel
Vertidraining compacted areas, concentrating on the problem spots
Investigating existing drainage systems with drone surveys if possible

Trial pit dug to locate a drain and examine soil conditions Trial pits to locate drains and examine soil conditions

Water flowing from a trial pit, confirming an existing drain is functioning Trial pits can confirm whether existing drains are functioning

A drain outfall being checked to ensure water is flowing freely Drain outfalls should be checked to ensure water is flowing freely

A sealed, silted drain pipe that is no longer accepting water Old drains become sealed, preventing water entering the system

3. Start to plan for autumn

Major drainage works are usually best carried out in late summer or early autumn. Planning should begin well in advance and may include:

Mapping the existing drainage system
Confirming reliable outfalls
Carrying out level or contour surveys
Identifying where surface water flows onto fairways or greens
Deciding on priorities, budgets and capabilities

Looking ahead

Many courses are considering robotic mowing systems which can operate in much softer ground conditions than conventional machinery, greatly reducing machinery loading during winter months and the resulting rutting and compaction.

This is an area I’ll explore in a future article, but I recommend that you investigate the technology. (See Technical Note 9: The Business Case for Robotic Mowing.)

Final thoughts

The winter just experienced should not be dismissed as an isolated event.

Courses that use the coming months to investigate problems and plan improvements will be far better prepared for the next wet season.

Preparation and planning work when conditions are suitable remain the most important factors.

In the next part, I’ll discuss the methods for investigation and mapping of your existing drainage system.

Simple solutions are often the best.