2023
Water scarcity is an ongoing issue across the golf industry and it is no different at Walton Heath. The club currently has a borehole from which it can abstract up to 20m3/d from the chalk aquifer 200m down which is then stored in a 27,000m3 reservoir. Whilst this is helpful, there is a high demand for water and this doesn't fulfill the club's annual irrigation demand of 14,000 - 25,000m3.
To assist, the golf club has installed a rainfall capture system alongside the M25 bank which runs along the boundary of the site. This consists of a 1 km-long French drain fitted with a perforated pipe capable of drawing rainwater and boosting the supply to help with irrigation demands. In the near future, the club hopes to utilise a second borehole which would allow them to abstract water from below the chalk aquifer, in the lower greensand, reducing reliability on mains water even further. This, alongside a newly installed Toro irrigation system, will ensure that the club can continue to deliver high-quality playing surfaces for years to come.
