UK Golf Courses Ban Smoking Due To Heatwave

Many UK golf courses have temporarily banned smoking due to extremely dry ground conditions

Golf Courses Ban Smoking
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Some UK golf courses have temporarily banned smoking due to extremely dry ground conditions

UK Golf Courses Ban Smoking Due To Heatwave

Some golf courses in the UK have banned smoking on the course due to the extremely dry conditions.

Related: UK&I Top 100 golf courses

Earlier this week, moorlands in Manchester went up in flames with the UK experiencing a prolonged hot and dry spell, and some clubs have banned smoking due to the risk of ground catching alight.

Royal Birkdale wrote on Twitter, "Due to the recent heatwave and the threat of scrub fires, please be aware that smoking is not permitted anywhere on the links until further notice"

See more

Knighton Heath Golf Club near Bournemouth have also banned smoking due to the dry conditions whilst Blankney Golf Club in Lincolnshire have also temporarily banned smoking

See more

If you're playing golf in the next few days and are a smoker, it would be best to check with the course on their current policy.

The UK has had a week of sunshine and no rain, with temperatures breaking the 30° celsius mark this week.

Related: The 10 best links courses in the UK

We are scheduled to have another week of dry weather and temperatures in the high 20s.

The current weather makes for perfect conditions for firm and fast links play, but it is completely understandable that courses do not want to take any fire risks, hence the smoking bans.

Related: Mike Lorenzo-Vera slams golf in France ahead of the Ryder Cup

Enjoy your golf, don't smoke on the course, and remember to wear sun cream and drink plenty of water!

Do you know of any golf clubs that have banned smoking? Let us know on our social channels.

Make sure you follow Golf Monthly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV