It's strange how we've all got used to playing on burnt fairways, watching the ball take crazy bounces and often being penalised by what we thought was a good shot when it left the clubface, only for it to take a big bounce and keep rolling into the unknown! Of course, there is a positive - the ball has been running for miles, and I know myself what an advantage that is, making some long par-4s in regulation when I don't usually have a cat in hell's chance!
I'm talking as a club member; we have to run with these heatwaves and the condition of the golf course in the same way we have to deal with winter golf and slopping around in the mud. As members, we pay our annual subs to cover the full twelve months - the glorious summer days, the mid-winter soakings, and everything in between. It all balances out over the course of a year.
But what about visitor green fees on a burnt-out course? I must admit, it does seem a bit unfair to pay a premium price to play on a course that is not in a condition commensurate with the fee, and that's the subject of this article.
When you rock up as a guest or a nomadic golfer paying £70, £80, or more for a single round, you are paying for the product as it exists on that specific day. In the depths of winter, most clubs quite rightly offer reduced visitor rates or winter deals to account for temporary greens, preferred lies, and soggy fairways. They recognise that the course isn't presenting its best self. So why doesn't that same logic apply when fairways are baked rock-hard, greens are struggling, and the course plays more like a dusty car park than a premium layout?
It raises a tricky dilemma for golf clubs. Course managers are working tirelessly under extreme pressure to preserve grass and protect greens during prolonged dry spells. Water restrictions and heat mean maintenance costs don't magically drop just because the grass turns brown. Yet, from a visitor's perspective, paying peak mid-summer rates to hit off straw and watch good shots ricochet into the bushes feels like a raw deal.
As heatwaves become more frequent and extended dry spells become the norm rather than an exception, how clubs manage visitor value during extreme weather will become a major talking point. Should courses introduce flexible ‘dry weather’ rates, or perhaps offer added perks, like a complimentary buggy, a free bucket of range balls, or a drink voucher at the bar, to keep nomadic golfers coming through the door?
Fortunately, we've had a bit of rain recently, nothing to make a huge difference just yet, but as we approach autumn, I'm sure we'll be playing on green grass before too long. Still, with hotter summers showing no signs of slowing down, this is definitely one for club committees to put on the agenda and discuss for 2027!
