Help! Erosion at Montrose, 2nd oldest linksland at the world.

[Richard Phinney]

The  links at Montrose, arguably the second oldest golfing ground at the world, updated substantially by Harry Colt, is under threat by coastal erosion (one tee has already sunk into the sea).   The beach at Montrose, though beautiful, has clearly shrunk by at least 150 yards over the last century (looking at historic photographs).

Controversially, the local port authority continues to dredge the local Montrose harbour each summer and is now selling the sand to reinforce a beach in Aberdeen.  A local oponent to the plan argues that this dredging is affecting the beach at Montrose and points to the fact that a beach slightly further away (in Lunan Bay) has actually expanded in the same time frame.

Does anyone know of a similar situation, or can point us to an expert who could comment on the likelihood of this dredging having a negative effect on erosion on a nearby coastline.

This is an extremely urgent situation, and any guidance or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Richard,
One non-golf place you could look into is the website for the California Coastline Project which features digital oblique aerial photos of almost the entire California coastline, but most, the site is dedicated to the preservation of the California coast which has been a victim of dredging and one too many man-made sea walls/bulkheadings that do more damage then protect.

The webs address is: www.californiacoastline.org

I would hate to think that Montrose--a pretty cool looking course that I still to this day regret not playing, even though I drove by it several times--would be victim to plain and simple stupidity.

[Robert Thompson]

Richard,
One non-golf place you could look into is the website for the California Coastline Project which features digital oblique aerial photos of almost the entire California coastline, but most, the site is dedicated to the preservation of the California coast which has been a victim of dredging and one too many man-made sea walls/bulkheadings that do more damage then protect.

The webs address is: www.californiacoastline.org

I would hate to think that Montrose--a pretty cool looking course that I still to this day regret not playing, even though I drove by it several times--would be victim to plain and simple stupidity.

I've played Montrose and took photos of the erosion. Holes like #2 (a par five, if I recall) used to have tees on the peaks of the dune that runs along the beach, but mostly the tee has now disappeared altogether....

[ForkaB]

Richard

You should contact Dornoch and Ballybunion, both of which have similar problems.  From what I know, all you can really do is spend a lot of money hauling a lot of very big boulders and then plunking them down on the coastline to delay the erosion for some time.  You might even end up with a course protected by a 30 foot sea wall, like Deal.  Dornoch's latest trrick has been pretty cool--effectively building a sea wall, but then covering it up with sand and native grasses so that it looks like a natural dune (on the 11th hole). In the end, however, Mother Nature will do whatever she is determined to do.

[Robin_Hiseman]

Richard

About 18 months ago the Montrose Links trust commissioned me to compile a detailed study into the consequences for the two courses that would be caused by future dune erosion.  As a member of the Royal, I would expect that they would allow you to read my report if you asked.

They cannot afford, nor justify throwing millions of pounds of rock armour at it, but with good planning and preparation, the erosion can be accommodated with a number of layout changes that would, I argue, improve the course.

With regard to the dredging, if that is the only way to keep the port open then it must be accommodated.  The dune erosion is a result of more than just the wave action.  The wind undercuts the top of the dune and gravity does the rest...I've watched it happen.