The UK Golf Federation has announced its full support for the national Problem to Resource campaign, a multi-sector initiative led by Environmental Solutions International to transform how the UK’s sports and leisure industries manage water amid intensifying climate pressures.
Like farms and other land-based sectors, golf courses and leisure facilities face a growing problem: increasing flood risk during heavy rainfall and severe water scarcity during extended dry spells. Under current regulations, sites that capture and store excess surface water, including rainfall, drainage runoff, or highway discharge, are often required to obtain abstraction licences before use. This restricts the ability of land managers to make practical, sustainable use of water that would otherwise be lost to the environment.
The Problem to Resource campaign proposes a simple, common-sense reform – allow responsible capture, storage, and reuse of excess surface water for irrigation without the constraints of conventional abstraction licensing. This change would reduce flood risk, improve water quality, enhance biodiversity through wetland creation, and ensure a secure, sustainable supply for irrigation, all while aligning with the Environment Act 2021, the Water Framework Directive, and the National Framework for Water Resources.
“Golf has a unique opportunity to lead on environmental resilience,” said Doug Poole, Chief Executive of the UK Golf Federation, speaking at the 2025 GolfBIC event at the recent Golf Business Expo. “The Problem to Resource campaign turns risk into opportunity, safeguarding the landscapes we manage and the communities we serve. By working collaboratively with regulators, water companies, and government, we can create a fair, sustainable framework for water use that benefits everyone.”
The campaign, supported by the Grounds Management Association, Racecourse Association, National Association of Public Golf Courses, and the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management, highlights how the leisure sector can play a leading role in natural flood management, water quality enhancement, and biodiversity gain. It builds on ESi’s earlier work with national water companies, which developed the Leisure Association and Operator Water Charters and Water Resilience Plan templates, tools already helping clubs measure, plan, and improve irrigation efficiency.
Through Problem to Resource, the UK Golf Federation and its partners aim to demonstrate that leisure land can be part of the solution, providing space for wetlands, reservoirs, and nature-based water storage that support both flood resilience and drought protection.
The UK Golf Federation is now calling on policymakers, regulators, and industry partners to engage with the campaign and support regulatory reform that enables sustainable, multi-benefit water management across the UK’s leisure landscape.