Another threat to UK golf courses is emerging – and it’s not going away

Golf courses up and down the country must feel like they can’t catch a break in 2024.

Financial battles continue to mount on clubs, while adverse weather conditions are only dampening spirits – and fairways.

Even coastal erosion has wiped out chunks of tee boxes and tracks this year, with over 100 in Scotland alone praying for reprieve from the tide.

But what if there was yet another threat to golf courses, quite literally, lurking under the surface?

Well, earthworms are just that, and are frustrating golfers and greenkeepers alike, particularly across the winter months.

So much so that one avid golfer from the Northeast of England isn’t just sick of it, but he’s also concerned for the future of inland golf.

Graham Rodger, who plays up to three times a week, admits earthworms have forced his club to shut three fairways over autumn and winter.

“The whole inland industry is caught between a rock and a hard place,” Rodger told bunkered.co.uk. “The worm population is increasing at a rate of knots.

“There’s a problem with memberships as a result of wet weather, well now there is going to be another contributing factor and its worm casts.”

Fair weather golfers aside, we’ve all dealt with earthworms on the golf course.

Earthworms produce small soil mounds, called casts, that build up on fairways and disrupt the playing surface. That can impede the roll of a golf ball or make for a tricky lie.

The bigger issue is that worm casts stick to golfers’ shoes, leaving trails of mud smeared across the course – and even onto greens.

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But the problem stretches further and impacts those with the responsibility of dealing with them.

Karl Hansell, Head of Communications for the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association, insists greenkeepers are struggling to contain the casts, too.

“The mud you see on the surface gets caught on mower blades, it wears them down and dulls the blades,” he explained to bunkered.co.uk. “You can then get uneven cutting and smearing, as well.

“Golfers aren’t happy, but greenkeepers are equally unhappy.”

As legislation stands in the UK, greenkeepers are unable to do any activity that directly affects the health of earthworms.

That means that products like soil conditioner – a natural detergent that can elevate earthworms to the surface – are not allowed to be used as a wormicide.

Instead, Hansell explains that greenkeepers are searching for innovative solutions to the problem, like swishing casts off before mowing or brushing them away.

“At all times, the greenkeeper does the best they can to create the best course they can with the tools available to them,” he said.

“It’s incredibly frustrating and for our guys, the blades are dulled, they need sharpened, and it costs money and time.

“We’re in a period of trying new things to see what works and our guys will come up with something to tackle it properly.”

Until then, Rodger remains concerned that golfers will continue to leave inland tracks for their links counterparts.

He insists that two links courses in his local area have huge waiting lists.

“Part of that might be because of closures during the winter, but I know one or two people for sure that have left the club to go to a links course because there are no worms,” he said.

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“I’m trying to advocate at the club that they get together with the golf industry and put some pressure on to at least address the problem.

“The product of a golf course is 18 holes, so although some might not want to play a full 18 in winter, if you can’t offer it then the club might be in bother.”

Earthworms are far less of an issue on the coastal golf courses, because the sub soil is sandier and the organic content in the soil is lower.

Sandier soil means there are less nutrients in it, too. Ultimately, that’s what the terrestrial invertebrate feed on.

Hansell, meanwhile, is less pessimistic. Rather, he claims golfers’ expectations may change in a transitional period for courses.

“This is part of the R&A’s 2020 initiative, but times are changing, greenkeepers and turf managers don’t have the same resources available to them,” he added.

“There may be a rebalancing in what a golfer witnesses in their day-to-day of playing a round. There may be a reconsidering of what’s possible, winter golf is only a recent phenomenon.

“Success in this area is about speaking to your greenkeepers, asking about challenges and offering to help.

“Then, sharing that knowledge with their friends and playing partners, so there is a future for parkland golf.”

And while earthworms are increasingly discouraging, could they actually be welcomed? Hansell says so.

“The presence of earthworms tells you the soil is healthy,” he said. “That means healthy sub-soil, and, ultimately, healthy grass.

“That entire ecosystem is thriving, so you’re going to have good grass coverage and a positive environment that greenkeepers can manage.

“We’re proud that the industry has shifted towards a cultural reset where greenkeepers don’t just consider the grass or top layer, but everything below it.”

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.