Montrose Golf Links Erosion

[Marty Bonnar]

The Dutch Sand Motor Project cost 70 MILLION EUROS.
£350k is a fart in the wind.
F.

[David_Tepper]

The town of Golspie was planning to build a seawall to protect it from tidal surges until it was determined the wall would need to be at least 18ft high to be effective.

https://www.northern-times.co.uk/news/golspie-breakwater-restoration-project-ditched-after-wave-mo-269012/

[Enno Gerdes]

The Dutch Sand Motor Project cost 70 MILLION EUROS.
£350k is a fart in the wind.
F.

Marty,
It's a bit more nuanced than that. The Sand Motor cost about 70 mln euros, however, it replaces annual replenishments for the next 20-30 years. So it may in the end actually save money. If anyone wants to read more about the Sand Motor, there is an English version of the independent policy evaluation (https://dezandmotor.nl/app/uploads/2021/06/Beleidsevaluatie_Zandmotor_2021-Hoofdrapport-EN.pdf). Which, incidentally, I wrote...

[Brian_Ewen]

Historic golf course 'disappearing' as rising seas batter coast
https://news.stv.tv/north/scotland-tonight-montrose-golf-club-disappearing-into-sea-as-climate-change-damages-coastline

[James Reader]

After another hugely damaging winter storm season the future looks bleak for Montrose - and it won’t be the only course to disappear over the next 10-20 years unfortunately.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqljjg1zq31o

[Marty Bonnar]

Sad. The photos show the futility of trying to use short lengths of riprap on huge great long beaches. The water is clearly just getting behind it and scouring out what’s there.
F.

[Thomas Dai]

This year it’s not just the frequency of the storms that have battered the U.K. coastline it’s also been the direction they’ve come from. More easterly’s than usual hence more severe damage to the east coast than normal like the unusual ravaging of the easterly side of the Fortrose peninsula.
And places get affected in different ways depending on the angle of the coastline in relation to the storm and whether there are any cliffs or headlands nearby that may protect them from certain angles but not from others.
Erosion of course might remove material in some places but it deposits it in others. And this includes material deposited in prior centuries that golf courses have since been built upon.
Atb

[Pierre_C]

http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/plan-to-stop-montrose-golf-links-sinking-into-sea-1-3267847

Plan to stop Montrose Golf Links sinking into sea

David May and Montrose Golf Links chairman Alan Crow at the spot where storms eroded part of the course. Picture: Hemedia
by ILONA AMOS
15 January
AN EMERGENCY rescue plan is being drafted to stop one of Scotland’s oldest golf courses from being washed into the sea by coastal erosion.

The 452-year-old Montrose Golf Links is facing a battle for survival as erosion from the North Sea has started to destroy parts of the ancient course.

Managers at the course, the fifth-oldest in the world, will attempt to work out the best way to save the greens and preserve features created by legendary Scottish golf course designer Old Tom Morris.

The Medal course has already had to be altered after storms led to the loss of dunes at the edge of the fairway between the second and fifth holes.

Alan Crow, chairman of Montrose Golf Links Limited, said: “The storms of last week took another 1.5 metres off the beach level, and two metres off the top edge of the dunes.”

The original sixth tee disappeared in 1994, but since then there has been a steady progression and about 10 metres of dune frontage fell away a couple of years later.

“The overall result since the erosion kicked in in the late 1980s and early 90s is that we’ve lost between 35 and 40 metres.

“As a result of that we rerouted and redesigned the second hole to make it playable and take it away from the edge of the dune.”

Montrose councillor David May said: “Over the last 20 years coastal erosion has had a devastating effect on the beach at Montrose and also the loss of much of what was part of the second fairway of our course.

“This led to Montrose Golf Links Limited having to spend considerable sums on realigning the fairway.”

It has been estimated that the Montrose coastline could wear away by up to 90 yards over the next 50 years. The sixth tee was made unplayable by a storm 15 years ago, and green keepers have continued fighting the elements ever since.

New sand fencing has already been installed to replace the barrier that has been lost, and council workers will stay in regular contact with the course manager in order to monitor the impact of the tides.

After further discussion between Mr May and the council, a meeting will be organised later this month with representatives of the Montrose Golf Links and councillors to develop a strategy to save the course.

A full stakeholders’ meeting will then be organised with others including GlaxoSmithKline and Montrose Harbour Board.

Experts say the conditions that led to the development of beaches and dunes have now been reversed. Sediment is being washed away so the beaches are getting narrower and the shoreline is moving inland and cutting into dunes. The second issue is rising sea levels, which are starting to engulf sections of the coast that had not been affected before. These effects are working together to make the shoreline move landward and erode whatever is at the bank.

A Montrose lad called James Melville is credited with recording the existence of golf at Montrose as early as 1562. He enrolled at St Andrews University at the age of 15 and his diary records that he was taught from the age of six to play many sports, including archery “and how to use the glubb for goff”.

He was born in 1556, so it is established that the game was being played in the town by, and very probably before, 1562.

Thank you Brian for the update on Montrose. Its a travesty what is happening but theses are the results of decades of industrialization & excessiveness consumerism.

My wife & I have plans to be in Dornoch next month, I was considering stopping at Montrose and play a round.  Hopefully, all the stakeholders and come up with feasible solution.


BBC article "Golf Courses Dissapearing into the sea." Discusses Montrose and Fortrose.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqljjg1zq31o

[Brian_Ewen]

twitter.com/RalphWardlaw/status/1781059270672322744

[Wayne_Kozun]

Interesting photo from the recent article:

[Pierre_C]

I played one of my favorite golf courses a few weeks ago, Montrose 1562. Attached are some recent photos of 2nd hole tee box erosion at Montrose. The photos were taken 2 weeks ago.


This is a snap shot from the club's promotional video published 5 years ago of the 2nd hole - https://youtu.be/-xbyg-24_zE?si=aai7lqp2iXO1SXBA  For those who are not familiar with Montrose, the video provides a great overview of the 2nd hole. The photo is used as a base line of how much erosion has occurred within 5 years.


In 2016, the ladies tee was no longer usable. 





Photo of 2nd tee box from 2016, looking forward.





Photo from 2018 online of 2nd tee box. Notice all of the fescue on the edge of the tee box.



2020 photo of 2nd tee box back corner. I forgot to take a current photo, but as of a few weeks ago, all the fescue you see in this photo is no longer there.





Photo taken from back tee (white) on 2nd hole looking forward. 



You can compare the original image to image below. Looks like at least 2 meters of soil lost. Erosion appears to be more severe along bend of path.





Entire middle portion of path area eroded.







Looking back at 2nd tee box from edge of fairway. I'm assuming rocks marked edge of dune prior to most recent storm. Rocky area gives you a sense of recent erosion. The 2nd tee box has been moved inland several times, changing the design of the hole.



View from 3rd tee box. You can see the walking path on far left is all but gone.



In 2018, the Scottish government spent £5M to build a large sandbank.



https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/910880/Montrose-Golf-Links-Angus-erosion-sea-defences

[Brian Finn]

I played there the last week of April, and seeing the damage firsthand gave me a greater appreciation of the severity.  The artificial turf path falling off the edge was particularly poignant.

[jeffwarne]

Pierre,
Is there a still reasonable fairway target to hit on the second hole?

[Pierre_C]

Hi Jeff,


   Yes, there is a 'reasonable' landing area, but I'm not sure how much narrower compared to 8-10+ years ago. I assume Montrose lost at least 2 meters of fescue area on the right edge. Below are photos of the fairway areas looking towards & from the green.


2nd fairway walking off tee box



beginning of fairway's near bunkers - 1st bunker is ~230 yds from white tee. A tee shot towards the bunkers appears to have a narrower landing area.





Compared to a snap shot from promo video 5 years ago, I remember the current right edge in front of green is narrower.





Middle distance from tee to green looking backwards... center fairway.



front of 2nd green looking back.. center green.



area in front of 2nd green, right edge of green.

Pierre,
Is there a still reasonable fairway target to hit on the second hole?

[Pierre_C]

Brian,


  I completely agree. I saw photos of the erosion from the winter storm, but the damage wasn't apparent till I saw it myself.

I played there the last week of April, and seeing the damage firsthand gave me a greater appreciation of the severity.  The artificial turf path falling off the edge was particularly poignant.

[jeffwarne]

Thanks Pierre,
Playing there in July.
has always been a deceptive tee shot.

[Pierre_C]

Have a great time... I had a 2-3 club wind on the first day I played. FYI.. I'm planning to post photos from all 18 holes within the next few days.

Thanks Pierre,
Playing there in July.
has always been a deceptive tee shot.

[Thomas Dai]

Yikes!
Not good at all.

Atb

[Brian_Ewen]

This is climate change’: Scottish beach eroding by 7 metres a year
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/03/scottish-beach-eroding-by-7-metres-a-year-montrose-climate-change

[jeffwarne]

Pierre,
Is there a still reasonable fairway target to hit on the second hole?

The answer is yes.
Downwind in the practice round I hit a 5 wood at the second bunker on left(277 yards to reach)pushed it and had sand wedge in(strong wind)played it again and hit it on the same line and barely carried the rough on the right(no wind).
It's a challenging looking tee shot, but manageable.
In the event I chickened out and hit it left of the bunker making the hole quite long.
So it is still a very reasonable/challenging shot.
IF the erosion slows/stops where it is.