Can someone please explain how architects out west preserve water?

[Mike Mosely]

I have a friend here in the NE that is an architect...not a golf course or landscape architect...but a building architect.

We were talking about how we are both worried about the Colorado River drying up and about possible privatization of water in the region.

He asked me about golf architects and how they are respectful of NOT wasting water on the game.  The best I could do was to say that some courses use reclaimed water, some get water from Indian reservations, but I couldn't tell him more than that other than I truly believed that the architects take their role as preservationists seriously and that their first duty is not only do no harm, but be respectful of the land.  I told him about how they cant fill in wetlands without creating new ones and about how many architects just take the washes they find and use them as diagonal hazards without doing anything else or touching them in any way.

Nevertheless, I'm a layman.  Can some of you please tell me, in terms I can explain to him, about how golf architects are preserving precious water and are environmentally sensitive in other ways out west?  He's a smart guy, (Ivy leaguer) so even if you go over my head, you probably won't go over his.  Thanks.

[Jeff_Brauer]

The buzzword is precision irrigation.  In practice, it means a lot of little design items that add up to using less water.

In golf design, reducing mounds and trees which require more water and limiting regularly watered turf to about 90 acres is a start.

In irrigation design, it means more sprinklers, spaced tighter, and with more control options than ever.  There won't be two heads runnnig together if one is in rough and the other in fw, or one in sun the other in shade run or one on a hill and the other in a valley, because one will run too long and waste water.

More part circle heads are used, rather than ramplantly throwing irrigation water into a native area or lake.

Control systems are now all tied to weather stations that monitor water need and shut things off (or proportionally reduce them) when wind dies down, it cools off, etc.

Seriously, none of that stuff was possible until the last decade.  There are some stats out there showing how much some courses using all the techniques available have reduced water useage.  And of course, other areas its been reduced by government mandate.  Somehow, the turf survives.

Not sure if this answers your questions, and it might sound dissapointing to hear its just a bunch of common sense stuff, but the only other thing that can be done is turf selection for drought tolerance, rather than say, color or playability and in the turf biz, genetic engineering for future selections.

[Mike Mosely]

Wow..thanks jeff...what about on bogger plots?  Like We-ko-pa or TSN?  Are they on more than 90 acres?  Is the water reclaimed?

[Mark Smolens]

When I was fortunate enough to be invited to play with a group from a friend's club in the Boulder area at Ballyneal, we met Mr. O'Neal at dinner.  He indicated that the greens are watered every two days, and the fairways every three.  Granted the conditions there (fescue grass on sand based soil) are ideal for that type of irrigation plan, but I wonder (from the same laymen's viewpoint as Mr. Mosely) if that could or should have any place elsewhere?  Provided, of course, the members or people playing the course recognize that green does not mean better.

[Jon Wiggett]

Don't the authoroties think about putting a cap on how much water, fertiliser, etc. new projects can use. If they are serious about enviromental protection then this would seem to be the most straight forward way. Fescues have little problem surviving high temperatures (110+) over longer periods of time with very little irrigation. F&F heaven

[Brad Klein]

Arizona limits irrigable areas to 90 acres per course. In the Las Vegas Valley, it's now down to 55 acres for new courses. In Florida, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is imposing greater limitations, and a lot of courses are now finding it hard, if not impossible, to overseed in winter for reasons of water conservation.

In many areas, golf courses are mandated to use recycled effluent, in which case they probably have a whole more than they need and so golf courses actually provide a public service as users of the surplus water for tees, fairways and roughs (greens, comprising  no more than 3-4 acres of a course, generally need fresh, potable water). But due to salt buidups, especially likely with recycled water where the mineral content is very high, you still need the occasional rain to flush out the accumulated salts.

There's a great literature on water management, esp. involving the arid areas west of the 100th meridian (i.e. Sand Hills!) in the U.S. The best single account is Marc Reisner's "Cadillac Desert: The American West and its Disappearing Water."  

[Mark_Fine]

Forrest and I just took 25+ acres of irrigated turf out of a golf course out West as part of a Master Plan for improvements.  This will have a huge impact on water usage.  I should note that we expanded fairways and improved playing angles in the process  

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Are courses on Indian land subject to the 90 acres of turf limitation in AZ? Do those courses have water usage limitations as well?

[Jeff_Brauer]

Steve,

Generally, Indian lands are considered a separate nation and they are not bound by any US law.  However, there are Indian lands that are native owned and there are Indian Lands "In Trust,"  Only the In Trust lands qualify as separate nations.  

On both the native american golf courses we have worked on, only part of the land was already in trust so we were subject to Federal regulations.  And, there is a long tradition of respect for the environment in most tribes, so I understand most follow best practices.

[Mike Mosely]

Does anyone have any details on the courses I outlined above?  How many acres are TSN, we-ko-pa and Black Mesa and Paako?

Thanks.

[Jon Wiggett]

I can understand the idea behind limiting the amount of land that may be irrigated but is there a limit on how many gallons courses are allowed to use?

[Forrest Richardson]

The ADWR (Arizona Department of Water Resources) regulates golf courses in certain areas...Phoenix happens to be one. Not all areas of Arizona are subject to regulation because water is abundant in many parts of the state, with no foreseen shortage (mainly because no one lives there...yet.)

In the Phoenix AMA (Active Management Area) we are limited to 90 acres of turf, but the real regulation is water use per year. Roughly 4.5 acre feet per acre, per year. Each golf courses here submits an annual report of usage each January. Last year, nine courses were found in non-compliance. Fines were levied.

Many courses use treated effluent (sewage.) Ground water and CAP (Colorado River) water is also used in the Phoenix Area. Courses that use treated effluent are not subject to the same regulations (when in an AMA.)

The primary contributions of Phoenix courses are:

• Drainage fields (handling flood waters from communities, roads, etc.)
• Reclaimed water (sewage) use
• Open space to reduce the heat island effect (Phoenix temperatures have risen 5 degrees due to concrete and asphalt)
• Recharge fields (water is retuned to the ground, replacing water use for a variety of uses — some courses receive a re-charge credit for irrigating)
• By increasing property values

Golf courses here represent a very, very low annual use compared to agriculture and industry. In many communities the golf course serves as the open space with individual housing lots having very little, or no, yard space or turf. In essence, an 18-hole golf course (at 90 acres or less) serves as many as 3,000 homes with open space and turf area. If each home had a 1/8 acre turfed yard that would be more than four times the turfed acreage of the "central park" purpose of the golf course.

Jeff states correctly the ideas of efficient irrigation as being a primary factor in efforts to reduce irrigation. North of San Francisco we reduced turf by 20 acres at a remodel — and installed a completely new irrigation system. The efficiency will be increased by 40%.

[Mark Smolens]

Mr. R, I'm curious, do you feel that this aspect of your profession is related more to engineering or to architecture, or is there necessarily a confluence of the two?  I like to read threads like this and hopefully retain some -- that way, when my friends (and others) who don't play and criticize golf as being in some manner detrimental to the environment, I have some ammunition.

[Forrest Richardson]

Golf architecture is a blending of design, engineering and psychology. And, to be sure, arcology — as coined by Paolo Soleri, the great visionary architect who believes in sustainable environments for living. A golf course is certainly that, providing open space, habitat, recreation and an oasis from society and the built portions of our world.

Not all golf courses are perfect. But, there are far more perfect golf courses that most things.

[Mike Mosely]

Someone mentioned to me that Atlanta is having water issues as well.  Can anyone else tell me more?  Are there any other ways that architects preserve water while still building a course with room to play the game and have wide fairways?

Can anynoe quote me chapter and verse about we-ko-pa, tsn and black mesa?  Calling Pat Brockwell!  Calling Pat Pat Brockwell.

[Pat Brockwell]

At Black Mesa GC in New Mexico we have only 80 acres irrigated, 16 of which is practice area.  We use part circle heads along the margins and we keep it fast and firm, even at the expense of criticism about some cuppy lies in spots.  All of the storm runoff from the course returns to our irrigation source as well.  We use organics to help build soil and enhance percolation and deep rooting.  We don't freak out when we see drought stress.  We make the turf ask for fertilizer before we apply it and we use wetting agents to help the water go where the plant can use it.  BTW, I didn't read all of Mike M's post till one minute ago when I was rereading the thread before pushing the button on my reply. Mike, your psychic hotline is working!

[Tom_Doak]

I recently saw a plan for a new irrigation system for an older private club in the west which irrigated wall-to-wall on 60-foot spacings.  They can claim this system is "more efficient" but I would bet my next paycheck that they'll use more water than they ever have before.  A membership that just paid $3.5 million for an irrigation system will freak out if the course is not GREEN.

I would love it if some superintendents reading this would share their numbers on the actual water savings for a new irrigation system vs. their previous system -- either by posting here or by emailing me to doakgolf@aol.com

I'd like to believe we are actually saving lots of water with these new systems but sometimes I suspect it is more about salesmanship and selling lots of irrigation parts.

[Kyle Harris]

Single row Toro 690 series (full circle two speed, I think that's the 698) down the middle of the fairways and let the rough become what it is supposed to be.... rough.

Toro 855s around the greens and handwatering.

Not sure how well that would work out west, but it does just fine with certain maintenance practices in drought conditions in the east.

[Mike Mosely]

At Black Mesa GC in New Mexico we have only 80 acres irrigated, 16 of which is practice area.  We use part circle heads along the margins and we keep it fast and firm, even at the expense of criticism about some cuppy lies in spots.  All of the storm runoff from the course returns to our irrigation source as well.  We use organics to help build soil and enhance percolation and deep rooting.  We don't freak out when we see drought stress.  We make the turf ask for fertilizer before we apply it and we use wetting agents to help the water go where the plant can use it.  BTW, I didn't read all of Mike M's post till one minute ago when I was rereading the thread before pushing the button on my reply. Mike, your psychic hotline is working!

Must be my Jedi mind trick!  "These are the superintendents you're looking for..."

"Credits will do fine..."

"No...they won't..."

[Jeff_Brauer]

Single row Toro 690 series (full circle two speed, I think that's the 698) down the middle of the fairways and let the rough become what it is supposed to be.... rough.

Toro 855s around the greens and handwatering.

Not sure how well that would work out west, but it does just fine with certain maintenance practices in drought conditions in the east.

Those old Toro two speed heads seemed like a good idea, but they never really worked as well as double row, based on my experience.

I would like to hear Pat (or others) use of organics and other moisture holding agents to reduce watering.  They are ungodly expensive (or were, last time I checked into them) but we may be forced into them as water becomes scarce.

I am a little more optimistic than Tom D that the new systems with tighter spacing, etc. can and do save water.  Can't say I have seen comparisons from old to new systems either, but I have seen the print outs for new systems and the use of water can nearly perfectly mirror actual need, whereas overwatering the middles to get the edges was very inefficient.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Would someone say that the automated ground sensors save more water too?

To reduce wate use I'll take Don Mahaffey with big spacing and a soil probe over the most sophisticated irrigation design any day of the week.

[Larry_Rodgers]

Every project has objectives and as the irrigation designer for (2) of the projects mentioned there is more to the threads. Ballyneal is a great example of a project with soil that will encourage a deep healthy root structure. The other project has very tight soils with very large existing trees that have deeper and stronger roots than the turf.

 There is a need on both projects to provide the manager the tools for deep and infrequent irrigation. Sandy soils do not provide the best water retension and Dave Hensley does a great job at keeping the good fescues in competition shape to outcompete the weaker cool season grasses. The other course with tight soils has been on an every 3-4 day irrigation schedule and has a difficult time keeping a proper balance for the turf to outcompete the trees.

 Deep and infrequent irrigation requires larger pipe & pumps to deliver larger quantities of irrigation in a shorter period of time. Tighter spacing is required to provide better application of water in the turf and less to the trees. It is also helpfull when there are high winds that limit the efective time an irrigation system can operate efficiently.

One of the best ways to preserve water is to have a healthy plant that can beat an environment where it may not be natural.

Eagle Vail golf course has reduced it's water use by over 50% and increased the quality turf area with their new irrigation system. The tight spacing has allowed them to select which areas of the course for restrictions and still provide a quality agronomic product. The old system was one of the 690-dual speed large spoken of.

The Meadows golf course in Littleton, CO has reduced their water use by 20% and increased the area irrigated at the same time. They have also pushed out much of the weaker poa because of tighter spacing and larger pumping system.

One of Tom's project's in TX is using about 3,500,000 million gallons of water per week (hot summer period) for the 200 + acre golf course. The course down the road has less than 100 acres and is using 7,000,000 gallons per week. The management and turf health is superior at Tom's course and is a model many project should follow.

Every project is different yet the basics still need to be in place.

[Pat Brockwell]

I'd like to believe we are actually saving lots of water with these new systems but sometimes I suspect it is more about salesmanship and selling lots of irrigation parts.

Or maybe irrigation parts selling lots.

[Pat Brockwell]

I goofed up Tom D's quote, duhohhh.

[Tom_Doak]

Pat:

Yes, that, too.

Funny, I still haven't gotten a single e-mail from someone who has reduced their water consumption with a new system.