Tatiana Geiselmann (in Dampierre-sur-le-Doubs), edited by Gauthier Delomez 06:30, August 10, 2022
The French are called upon to save water because of the drought that is raging this summer.
And despite this restriction, golf courses benefit from an exemption that allows them to water part of their land.
Europe 1 went to the Doubs, where the director of a golf course explains the need to use a minimum of water to avoid any controversy.
Sixty hectares of land, an 18-hole course and around the greens, a lawn to make the English green with envy.
While everyone is called upon to save water in the face of drought, golf courses benefit from an exemption and can still water part of their land.
An economic necessity according to Mathieu Beyler, the director of the Prunevelle golf course, in Dampierre-sur-le-Doubs in the Doubs.
"A green is the final area of a golf hole. It's where we're going to find the flag. These are very fragile areas that die if they're not watered within three days," he explains at the microphone of Europe 1.
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The fairways completely yellowed by the weather
This exemption for golf courses follows an agreement concluded in 2019 with the Ministry of Ecology.
Thus, even in times of drought crisis, the greens always have the right to be watered.
"If the greens are ruined, the land is no longer usable", warns Mathieu Beyler.
"It's part of the survival of the golf course to continue to be able to water these areas."
These areas are watered only at night with water set aside in the spring.
On the other hand, all around, the grass is yellow in color.
"The fairway are areas that are not watered at all", describes Mathieu Beyler.
"We see that when we pass our hand, it's straw. We rub and everything flies away, everything is burned", adds the director.
The Doubs on drought alert
Finally, watering concerns only 2% of the total surface of the land, with a water consumption of 45 cubic meters per day, the equivalent of a swimming pool.
A quantity already too high for Régine, a neighbor of the Dampierre-sur-le-Doubs golf course.
"I don't find it normal for golf to water, that's for sure", reacts to Europe 1. "I can't water my flowers. I don't water the garden, I don't water anything. And you see, everything is dry," laments Régine.
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The Doubs department has switched to drought crisis alert.
Consequence: the golf courses can no longer water the starting areas of the holes, which the director of Prunevelle already gave up two weeks ago.