Golf’s battle to survive a changing climate

The future of links and seaside golf is under threat, writes Kevin Markham. But what is Irish golf doing to fight back?

With golf under threat from our climate, it is hardly helpful that the most powerful man in the world is a climate change denier, believing it to be a hoax invented by the Chinese. Perhaps Donald Trump will change his tune as his golf courses get washed away by rising oceans and increased flooding.

A strongly worded and worrying report recently published by the UK’s leading environmental organisation charity, the Climate Coalition, has found that every links golf course across the UK is in danger of disappearing in the next 100 years. The world famous courses at St Andrews and Royal Troon are highlighted specifically but with approximately 100 Scottish courses lying on the coast, the report indicates that climate change will have serious consequences for the game we love.