Tranlate this title Courses face a challenge of extreme drought in spanish

As reported by the highly reputable Guardian, England and Wales recorded their driest July since records began in… 1836! Wales experienced its warmest July ever (tied) in terms of average temperature, while England recorded its second-warmest July on record.

Courses and summer

According to the Met Office, half of England and all of Wales were officially declared to be experiencing drought conditions last week. In England, 40% of the population (26 million people) is subject to a ban on using garden hoses. And yet, at the same time, golf clubs are still allowed to water their courses, prioritizing the greens (see below), which is causing considerable frustration for some.

France is not immune to this phenomenon. July is already one of the warmest and driest months ever recorded in the country, with a temperature anomaly of +3.8°C and a 70% deficit. Le Figaro also reports that the soils are now drier than in 2022 and 2025, reaching levels close to historical lows.

The repercussions on golf courses are also numerous. The very dry soils make the fairways hard, yellowed, and sometimes cracked, resembling more a pile of straw than well-cut grass. The greens are suffering from «water stress,» even when they are watered. This also leads to an increased risk of fires in forested areas, particularly in Gironde, Landes, and Provence. But the prestigious Fontainebleau Golf Club, in Seine-et-Marne, was also threatened by significant fires in mid-July. This drought is ultimately affecting all regions.

In several departments, golf courses must therefore reduce watering, prioritizing the greens first, while mostly watering at night to limit evaporation. Golf courses without access to water reservoirs or recycling systems are de facto the most affected. The most exposed regions remain Nouvelle-Aquitaine, but also Provence, Occitanie, and Pays de la Loire.

In Vendée, for example, prefectural decrees distinguish several levels. Alert: watering golf courses is prohibited between 8.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m., with a reduction of 15 to 30% of the weekly volume. Enhanced alert: only greens and tees may be watered, between 8.00 p.m. and 8.00 a.m., with a reduction of at least 60% of the volume. Crisis: only the greens can still be watered, at night, up to a limit of 350 m³ per week per nine holes, except in the event of a drinking water shortage.

In the northeast of the Vendée region, the Maine-et-Loire department is also suffering. Played this past weekend by one of Golf Planète’s journalists, the Cholet golf course now only has its greens being watered. While they are in good condition, the fairways are yellowed.

«They look like straw,» a member we met told us. «Welcome to the UK! Except that, when you play links golf, you can stray from the course. Here, every little mistake is fatal. A capricious bounce after a great drive can put you out of bounds. It’s tricky and frustrating.»

Faced with this emergency, the French Golf Federation (FFG) recommends very early tee times, reducing or postponing already scheduled competitions, increased hydration, shaded areas, access to drinking water, and heightened vigilance for vulnerable individuals.

Ho anche uniformato «hottest» in tutto il testo, sostituendolo con «warmest» dove riferito alla temperatura e rendendo più neutra la frase sulla Francia.