Badgers are reportedly causing damage to golf courses across the UK, with greens being torn up in search of food. This activity is occurring in areas such as Suffolk, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire.
The current drought conditions, which have seen England and Wales experience their driest July since 1836, have made it challenging for badgers to find their usual underground food sources. The earth has been baked dry by the sun, making it difficult to dig.
However, golf courses maintain wet lawns due to an exemption from hosepipe bans under the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010. This allows them to water sports turf, providing a softer, more accessible environment for badgers to find worms and chafer grubs.
Jim Croxton, chief executive of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association, stated that badgers typically dig turf for food, and August marks the beginning of the period when chafer grubs are generally present.