Roda Golf Completes New Irrigation Upgrade Ahead of August Heat

I nearly went arse over tit into a trench on the way to the 7th tee a couple of weeks back. One round it wasn't there, the next round half the fairway looked like a building site, pipes stacked by the buggy sheds, sprinkler heads pulled up like weeds. My playing partner, a chap called Derek who moans about everything from green fees to the price of San Miguel, was convinced the course had gone to rack and ruin overnight. Turns out it was something rather more sensible: Roda Golf had started the irrigation upgrade they'd been talking about since the spring.

I got chatting to one of the groundskeepers while we waited to play through (my Spanish is dreadful, his English is excellent, so we met somewhere in the middle) and he walked me through what was going on. Fair play to them, the timing makes a lot of sense once you think about it properly.

What's Actually Changed on the Course

The old system on parts of the front nine was original to the course, and anyone who's played Roda for a few summers will know the tell-tale signs: patchy fairways by mid-August, a few brown scars near the bunkers, sprinklers that seemed to water the cart path more enthusiastically than the actual grass. The new setup uses smarter, zoned sprinkler heads that can water different sections independently, rather than blasting the whole hole at once regardless of what it actually needs.

There's also a new pump station, which apparently means better water pressure at the far end of the course, the bit that always seemed to struggle in previous Julys. If you've ever wondered why the 14th looked lush while the 15th looked like a Cornflakes packet, that's your answer.

Work's been done in stages so the course never fully closed, just certain holes roped off for a day or two at a time. A bit of an inconvenience if you turn up expecting all eighteen, but nothing that ruins a morning. Worth checking ahead through the resort's enquiry line before you book a tee time if you want to avoid any surprises.

Why This Matters More Once August Hits

Anyone who's spent a summer out here knows July is warm, but August is when Murcia stops messing about. We're talking days where the car thermometer reads numbers that seem made up, and greens and fairways take a proper battering. Grass doesn't care how nice the view of the Mar Menor is, it just wants water, and it wants it efficiently.

The old system apparently wasted a fair bit through overspray and uneven coverage, which in a region that takes water scarcity seriously (ask anyone about the reservoirs this year) isn't a great look either. So this isn't just about keeping the fairways pretty for Instagram, it's about the course coping better with less waste during the exact weeks it needs it most.

Derek, predictably, is already claiming credit for the upgrade because he complained about a divot in 2024. I've told him the resort has bigger things on its mind than one man's short game, but he's not convinced.

What It Means If You're Playing or Staying at Roda This Summer

Practically speaking, expect a few holes here and there to have temporary markers or ropes over the next couple of weeks while they finish the last sections. Nothing that'll wreck your round, just don't be alarmed if the 7th looks like it did the day I nearly fell in the ditch.

Longer term, this should mean better conditions right through August and into September, which is good news if you're one of the many who come out for a golf break and end up looking at holiday rentals near Roda Golf because you fancied staying a bit longer once you saw the place properly. It's also a decent excuse to explore some of the other courses nearby while a hole or two is being finished off. Take a look at the full rundown of golf courses around the Mar Menor if you want to mix things up for a round or two.

If you're new to the area and wondering what else is worth your time between rounds, our guide to the Los Alcázares and San Javier area covers the beaches, the chiringuitos, and where to hide from the heat when you're not on the course. And if you fancy a proper chat about it over a coffee sometime rather than reading it off a screen, you know where the clubhouse bar is. I'm usually the one arguing with Derek about whose round it is.

Either way, credit where it's due. It's a sensible bit of investment from the resort, done at a sensible time of year, and by the time we're all sweating our way round in August, the course should be thanking them for it even if Derek won't.