New data highlights golf courses in UK most at risk from climate change

Posted by Admin April 30, 2024 Golf

New data uncovered by betting odds experts AceOdds reveals the links golf courses around the UK that are at risk of disappearing due to climate change.

Recently, many golf courses around the country have hit the news due to losing large chunks of their fairways during storms.

According to Statista, the UK’s sea level is expected to rise by up to 50 cm by the year 2100, and rising sea levels bring with them the increased threat of coastal flooding and a higher risk of erosion.

Up to 28% of coastline in England and Wales and 19% of coastline in Scotland is at risk of erosion, according to the organisation UK Climate Risk.

AceOdds wanted to find out which courses were most at risk in England, Wales and Scotland, so they dug into the data and can now reveal the links golf courses most at risk of disappearing due to climate change.

New data highlights the golf courses in the UK most at risk from climate change

Course	Country	Postcode	Average Elevation	Erosion risk	Flood risk- surface	Flood risk- river/sea
Arbroath Golf Club	Scotland	DD11 2PE	24 metres	75%	High	High
Leven Golfing Society	Scotland	KY8 4HS	35 metres	75%	High	High
Tain Golf Club	Scotland	IV19 1JE	46 metres	40%	High	High
Moray Golf Club	Scotland	IV31 6QS	3 metres	75%	Medium	High
Nairn Golf Club	Scotland	IV12 4HB	18 metres	50%	Medium	High
Royal Dornoch Golf Club	Scotland	IV25 3LZ	19 metres	75%	Medium	High
Monifieth Golf Links	Scotland	DD5 4AW	29 metres	75%	High	Medium
Formby Golf Club	England	L37 1LQ	5 metres	50%	High	Very Low
West Lancashire Golf Club	England	L23 8SZ	9 metres	40%	High	Very Low
Royal West Norfolk Golf Club	England	PE31 8AX	26 metres	30%	Very Low	Medium

The data reveals that golfers in Arbroath, Leven and Tain in Scotland could see their course disappear the quickest in the country.

Arbroath Golf Club has a high-risk level of flooding from both surface water and river/sea water, sitting only 24 metres above sea level on average.

Leven Golfing Society is also categorised as high-risk from both types of flood water, and both courses have a 75% erosion risk over the next 75 years.

Tain Golf Club, which sits 46 metres above sea level, is also at high risk of flooding from surface and river/sea water but has a 40% erosion risk until 2100.

In England, Formby Golf Club is the course most at risk from climate change. It sits just 5 metres above sea level and has a high risk of flooding from surface water, with a 50% likelihood of experiencing coastal erosion in the next 75 years.

Moray Golf Club is the course which sits the nearest to sea level, with a medium risk level of flooding from surface water and a high risk of flooding from river/seawater.

Methodology: AceOdds used official government data from the English and Scottish governments to identify which courses were most at risk of coastal erosion and which were most at risk of flooding from surface, river and seawater.

What do you make of the above data? How worried about climate change are you? Share your thoughts and comments over on the GolfMagic social media channels.