Key facts
- Over 140 golf clubs in England breached water extraction licences between 2021 and 2025.
- More than a third of these clubs illegally extracted water by exceeding limits or taking it outside permitted times.
- 100 clubs' breaches posed a risk to the environment, human health, or quality of life.
- No prosecutions or fines have been issued for these breaches.
- The number of breaches has more than doubled in the period, likely due to improved monitoring.
- Golf clubs account for approximately 6% of all water extraction breaches.
More than 140 golf clubs in England have breached their water extraction licences in the past five years, according to an analysis of Environment Agency data by The Guardian. This represents approximately one in 12 of the country's golf clubs.
More than a third of these breaches involved illegal water extraction, either by taking more water than permitted or by abstracting outside of licensed periods. In other cases, breaches were attributed to a failure in reporting or monitoring water usage. Of the total breaches, 100 posed a risk to the environment, human health, or quality of life.
Despite the significant number of breaches and their potential environmental impact, no golf clubs have faced prosecution or fines for these infringements. This lack of consequence has drawn criticism from environmental campaigners, who describe the situation as “absolutely unacceptable” and call for stronger enforcement and prioritisation of water for essential services.
The data, covering 2021 to 2025, shows a more than doubling of breaches over the period, which the EA attributes partly to improved monitoring and digitisation of records. These breaches occurred during periods of significant drought in England, with over 70% of the country currently classified as being in drought conditions following record-breaking heatwaves.
Experts highlight that low water levels can concentrate pollutants and reduce habitat for aquatic species. Golf clubs use substantial amounts of water for irrigation, and some have faced criticism for using mains water during hosepipe bans. Campaigners suggest measures like creating on-site reservoirs or wetlands to improve water retention. England Golf stated it provides guidance to clubs on sustainable water usage.