Water Conservation?

[JMEvensky]

If the availability of less water for golf courses is a future possibility/probability,what should be done in advance?

Our Super isn't a Cassandra but believes we should be taking some steps just in case.What steps are those?Would the USGA be any help?

[Jon Wiggett]

JME,

I think alot depends on your location. In middle and northern Europe it will mean giving up automatic irrigation. This will require a return to the old style of course, wider fairways, F&F, larger green complexes and less definition. From a maintenance point fescue will probably become the dominant grass and aeration, especially deep will be important.

What shouldn't be forgotten is while it may get drier in some areas, it will get wetter in others and the rainfall pattern may change requiring thought in how to store water effectively in flash flood regions.

[Philippe Binette]

the use of fescue... go on the R&A website and look the danish supers report... awesome

[Joe Hancock]

[Jon Wiggett]

Joe,

your point ?

[Joe Hancock]

A willing reduction in irrigation use.

Joe

[JMEvensky]

I don't think I asked the question I wanted to.I was wondering if anyone such as the USGA or GCSSA has anything which might help us teach the members why it's important to start lowering water usage now.Before anyone suggests "improved playability",our members seem to consider the words "playability" and "lush" synonymous.

We'd like to make the case to the membership that it would be better to start weaning the course away from water on our timetable rather than some regulatory body's.

[Joe Hancock]

JM,

For one, the golf turf will never survive a cold turkey withdrawal from irrigation, if that's what the regulation ends up being. It will, however, survive a slow, managed withdrawal. The latter also will likely score points with regulatory agencies as far as them not hitting a panic button. If they don't see any activism in the turf industry, which seems to be spearheaded by golf courses, they may very well cave in to special interest groups, the bottled water industry, or whomever.

Joe

[Peter Pallotta]

Just an aside -

the town I'm currently living in had a recent visitor, Gordon McKie, greenskeeper at TOC. He spoke to students in the local university's turf grass programme. He said nothing that would surprise anyone here, but I thought it worth mentioning in a thread like this - i.e. pesticides and fungicides haven't touched the grass at TOC in 17 years; weeds are picked and fertilizer spread by hand; watering is kept to a bare minimum; and sand, sand and more sand is spread over the fairways to firm them up and promote the growth of good turf. 

Sorry for the threadjack JM - in one sense in has nothing to do with your question, but I thought it connected.

Peter

[JMEvensky]

Peter,no problem with the threadjack.I do think it connected.

For me,the manifestations of less water available are mostly positive.That's not necessarily the case for the majority of our members who prefer lush,overwatered conditions.

Trying to win the argument for cutting back gradually solely on playability is difficult.I'm trying to couch the argument in terms of "sustainability" and "future water regulation" which,I think,would be more palatable.

[Peter Pallotta]

JM

all the best with that; I think there are few things more important in golf moving forward than what you're trying to do there. It must be hard partly because members come to the golf course to "get away" from the work and problems of their daily lives, so I can't imagine they want to hear about the practical (or soon to be practical) realities of water use. It sounds to me like you're trying all the right approaches; but I fear that most members will start paying attention only when "future water regulations" have become "present water regulations".  I hope you can get well ahead of the curve...

Peter

[Bryan_Pennington]

Here in the US South, we were officially cut-off from city water last Friday.  We have been under increasing restrictions for the past 6-months.  In anticipation of the "cut-off" we have been using more sand on the greens (our fairways are dormant) and drilled 3 deep wells.  The wells will only provide sufficient water capacity for approximately 20% of our pre-restricted usage (yes we were lush and green before water became an issue) and 40% of our  restricted usage.  Hopefully the wells will provide adequate survival needs for the greens and tees during the summer, but the fairways and other areas are up to mother nature.   We are already seeing much firmer / faster conditions and the summer should generate "near" over the top F&F conditions. 

Regarding the health of the fairways, would sand usage in the summer be useful to common bermuda fairways.  Any other thoughts on helping the fairways?

[Pete Lavallee]

Here is a link to an article in thew SCGA's FORE Magazine about the use of reclaimed water to irrigate golf courses:

http://scga.org/FOREWEB/JF08/water.htm

[Joe Hancock]

Bryan Pennington,

Please keep us informed of your conditioning, changes in maintenance practices, etc., as the season progresses. I  think your course is a very important model regardless of what the ultimate outcome is, as we will all learn something.

Thanks,

Joe

[Ken Moum]

You might find some good ammo here:

http://www.eifg.org

The EDGE database has a lot of good stuff too.

http://www.eifg.org/portal/portal/portal.aspx

[JMEvensky]

kmoum and Pete Lavallee,thanks for the links.