‘All hands to the pump’: Links team tackles flooding

The majority of holes on the Carnoustie Golf Links courses will reopen today after major flooding swamped the site over the weekend.

Staff have been pumping water from the worldf a m o u s courses after 101mm of rain fell over three or four days and the nearby Barry Burn burst its banks.

Around 20 workers, one main pump, and six smaller devices have been deployed as Carnoustie Golf Links staff battle back the water to ensure courses are playable for season ticket holders and members.

Workers have been using snow shovels and other implements to lift the silt and mud off the courses to ensure they are playable.

Links superintendent Craig Boath said: “The saying goes ‘it’s all hands to the pump’ and it’s exactly that.

“Things are now. We have pretty good had pumps going through the night. The Championship Course opened on Monday and we will have 16 holes of the Burnside course playable today.

“The greenkeeping team are doing a great job. They are desperate to get holes open as well.

“It’s tough the guys are in.

“We rise to the challenge when it is put in front of us,” he said.

He said the Buddon course had reopened at short notice on Monday and Tuesday after positive negotiations with energy company Seagreen, which is preparing the site for the installation of a large underground off- shore windfarm cable.

An inspection will be held today to check it is safe for parts of the course to remain open for longer than was originally planned, he added.

“We are making sure we have done all our safety going but all getting stuck

checks and golf can be played in a safe manner.”

Mr Boath said he was experienced at dealing with floods, but the amount of water washing on to the courses over the weekend had been surprising.

“We have had a floods before, but it strange the way this few was one

happened. It wasn’t high tide. It was to do with water running off the fields.”

He said staff had been “squeegying” away water wherever they could.

“It is the silt that is the worst thing. We have to scrape that up and make sure it isn’t left covering the grass,” he added.

SUBMERGED: More than 10cm of rain fell on the courses over a few days, leaving large areas under water.

Around 20 staff have been working on the flooded areas.