If the water table is too high, drainage isn't going to help, is it? And criticising clubs for not being able to cope with rainfall that hasn't been seen before is harsh. We had 8 inches of rain in October up here, and the following months have all seen well over average rainfall. The only clubs in the county playing on 18 normal greens are the links clubs.
Mark, I completely understand your point, every situation and club is different, and each will have its own issues.Not every club is guilty of such poor thinking, but many are.
These are exceptional periods of rainfall, but the pattern does not look like it will lessen over time.
Water Table issues are, I appreciate, much harder and need more expense and co-ordination with neighbours etc.
A large amount of UK inland clubs should be questioned for their recent decision making on highly-visible character-changing investments, too many social media pictures over the last few weeks where "
the course is closed, but look our new (shiny) bunkers are draining great".
Well that's really super if the course is closed and no-one can use them anyway...that's the definition wasteful investment.
But many have/had funds burning a hole in their pocket, and there is a peer pressure like never before to spend big on oxymoronic "Course Improvement Plans"
Nevermind the enormous damage to golf's architectural heritage from insensitively imposing these modern "cut & paste" bunkers onto traditional c.100yr old courses in many cases.
Another club I know takes the opposite approach, it simply ensures the entire playing area of the course drains well (even at the current time) and if the bunkers are flooded they simply declare them GUR and allow play. No-one is playing at this time of year for a prime golfing experience; it is exercise, socialbility and fresh air IMHO, so if a few or even all the hazards are out of play for a social game so what.
They do have a rolling program of renovation and improvement of drainage in those bunkers that flood, and will gradually resolve these over time, its just having the right order of priorities and better stewardship of members' funds.
If there are external water table issues these will need addressing even more in our uncertain future, it is clear that weather events are becoming more volatile and frequent. It may be difficult and expensive but can be done (if we really require 12 months of Golf, as the UK seems to be far less accepting of course closure periods than say the US)
I have personal experience in managing a serious water table issue as c.20 years ago we had 10,000 Litres of water flowing through the ground floor of our house having punched up from below! We commissioned a Hydrologist's report (best £500 we ever spent) they gave simple but extensive open ditch and relief pipes guidance to direct the flow away from the area, we and our neighbours did the recommended work (following involving our insurance and the local council to add pressure) and we have had no groundwater flooding issues since (despite repeated heavier and persistent rainfall than the original event).
I appreciate that doing so for a golf course is an issue of far larger scale but it can, and I would argue must, be done to secure courses' future existence.
The priorities must be functional first, planning for the increasingly wet future (& possibly hotter playing seasons) to come; then deal with the aesthetic and fashionable afterwards (if you have enough money left).