There are seven golf courses on the Sefton Coast, including Royal Birkdale, that use groundwater to irrigate. Peak usage occurs during the dry summer months, when there are many other demands on the aquifer.

The groundwater level plays a vital part in sustaining the ecological integrity of the Sefton Coast sand dune system, including the large area of wet slacks. The Environment Agency, along with its statutory partner, English Nature, has a key role to assess the impact of any project or plan to increase groundwater abstraction. The agencies are therefore working in close consultation with the gold course managers along the Sefton Coast to ensure that conservation interests are properly taken into account.

Conservation measures implemented by the golf clubs include setting up accurate and reliable irrigation schedules, ensuring equipment is in good order, not irrigating during the day and limiting the area of turf being irrigated. It is important to make every drop count.