Club vows to bounce back after latest flooding episode

Officials at Garmouth & Kingston Golf Club are confident they will be able to bounce back from the flooding that submerged large parts of their course earlier this week – as it has become a regular occurrence for them!

Footage that was widely shared on social media earlier this week showed water cascading across the Morayshire course after several days of heavy rain caused the River Spey to burst its banks for the second time in a fortnight.

According to one club official, such things will only continue to happen until such times as proper flood defences are put into the river.

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“Unfortunately, we seem to be hit by flooding every year,” club treasurer Tricia Spurling told bunkered.co.uk. “This latest incident has left a lot of silt and debris on the fairways and greens of the back nine, which has had to be closed as a result.

“It’s very disappointing but it’s something we’re used to by now. It’s very tough on our greenkeepers, who are all volunteers, and in times like this we have to rely on the support of other local volunteers to chip in. It’s not uncommon for members to come down with shovels or rakes to help out.”

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Spurling added that the club has had to invest significant sums of money in flood defences over the years but with only a small measure of success.

“The problem that we have is that we can only put up defences on the course. We cannot get access to the river because of SEPA and such like.

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“It’s very frustrating. A few years ago, we raised £90,000 to go towards new clubhouse facilities. However, we ended up having to spend all of that on flood defences that only lasted six weeks.”

Despite difficulties posed by its riverfront location and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has been a good year for Garmouth & Kingston, with the club reporting a healthy upturn in membership.

“We’ve seen around 20 to 25 new members join,” added Spurling. “That takes our total membership to 186, which is pretty healthy.”