Water, Water, everywhere and not a drop to drink.......

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Britain The Times April 06, 2006 Eco-warriors attack golf courses in bid to cut water wasteBy Ben Hoyle and Patrick Foster THEY roamed the fairways in the dark, almost certainly broke the dress code and definitely flouted course etiquette by digging up the greens. To golfers this deliberate infliction of damage on one of the South West’s finest courses was an act of indefensible vandalism. But to the eco-warriors who appear to be responsible it is part of a campaign to reduce water wastage before what some experts believe could be the worst drought for a century. The attacks will send a ripple of fear through golf course managers everywhere. At least five clubs in the Bath area have already received threatening letters from an anonymous group demanding that they cut their water

consumption by a quarter and return 10 per cent of their courses to nature. If they fail to comply, the letter says, they could suffer the same fate as the Park course, which was attacked on the night of March 30. Activists broke into the estate’s 240 acres of rolling parkland around a 19th-century manor in Wick, near Bath, and used a spade to dig up greens. Richard Berry, the Park’s head of golf, said last night: “We have absolutely no clue who these people are. You wouldn’t wish this on anyone else.” The damage was superficial and the greens have now all been repaired. They should be back to how they were before the attack within a couple of weeks, he added. The letters were sent out the day after the attack to the Park, Lansdown Golf Club, Bath Golf Club, Entry Hill Golf Club and the Approach Golf Course. Ian Cornwell, chairman of Lansdown Golf Club, said that clubs were already using as little water as possible. “We don’t want to spend any more on our water

bill than we have to,” he said. “It’s simple economics — and year on year our bill has been going down.” Jim Galley, the manager of Bath Golf Club, added that protecting the greens round the clock was impossible: “What can we do? We can’t have guards out there 24/7.” Avon and Somerset police have stepped up patrols around golf courses.A spokesman said that the force had not yet drawn a clear link between the vandalism at the Park and the threatening letters. Nevertheless courses around the country are now wondering if the campaign will spread. Wentworth Club, which has been home to the prestigious World MatchPlay Championship for more than 40 years, is an obvious target for protesters because it lies in the heart of the South East, the area most affected by the water shortages. Stuart Christie, the club secretary, said last night that he was concerned but hoped that green vigilantes would take note of Wentworth’s efforts to reduce water consumption. “Being Wentworth and being famous we could easily be next. However, we are a responsible establishment and we have agreed with our water company to reduce our usage.” Peter H

 

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