French climate activists have filled golf course holes with cement in protest against a water ban exemption on greens across the country during a severe drought, reports The Independent.
The group, part of the Extinction Rebellion organisation, targeted courses near the city of Toulouse, calling golf the “leisure of the most privileged”.
The month of July 2022 was marked by a record rainfall deficit in France with fewer than four days of rain, which is about three to 10 days fewer than the average, according to Météo France.
Drought has prompted multiple southern European countries to impose water restrictions, with France activating its crisis unit this month in response to the historic conditions.
The exemption of golf greens from the water ban has sparked controversy as 100 French villages are short of drinking water but golf officials argue that greens would die in three days without water.
“A golf course without a green is like an ice-rink without ice,” Gérard Rougier of the French Golf Federation told the France Info news website.