[Patrick_Mucci]

On the overseeding topic, Paspalum was mentioned.

Comments were made relative to the expense to maintain it and it's being prone to disease.

Having played off of it, I noticed how tight the lies were.

If it presents tight lies, is prone to disease and expensive to maintain, why would any club fumigate their old grass and replace it with Paspalum ?

Which brings me to my next question concerning effluent water.

Courses that I'm familiar with found the effluent water pumped into their property to be too contaminated.

Some courses went to the expense of purchasing addtional on site filters to reduce or eliminate the contaminents in the effluent water.

Other courses ceased using effluent water due to the degree of contaminents and the problems associated with its use.

Has the use of effluent water not lived up to its hype ?

Was Paspalum a grass designed to accomodate/thrive in effluent water ?

Have both experiments failed ?

Can a case be made for either ?    ...... or both ?

 

[Kyle Harris]

Pat,

Do you mean brackish water and not effluent? A lot of golf courses use effluent or gray water all over the country. Paspalum is typically favored for its salt tolerance in coastal areas - that way a course can pump directly from the brackish water in the estuaries.

[Joel_Stewart]

As far as the effluent water, a few years ago, Olympic Club, Lake Merced and SFGC all switched over.   Lake Merced spent an enormous amount of money to build 2 huge tanks, (one fresh water and one effluent) and a new computer system which allows them to direct either fresh or effluent to basically any sprinkler head.  They specifically wanted fresh on the greens and tees.

Olympic and SFGC basically rolled the dice and monitored it very closely.  In the end, there has been no change, no damage, no effects.

[SL_Solow]

I have been informed that the Hamlet in Delray Beach Florida contracted to take a significant amount of treated effluent from the county several years ago.  Thus far, no ill effects.  During that period they replaced their existing greens with "Champion".  They also experimented with Paspalum on a couple of tees.

[John Moore II]

I would say that neither experiment has failed, they are simply still testing out how each will work in different locations, different strains that can work better, treatment for water and such. I think each one will work fine just the same as new strains of bermuda and any other grass.

[Ryan Farrow]

I don't know of the turnover of the water but a possible solution would be a constructed wetlands to filter the effluent and then it can be used to water the golf course. Just like that, pure clean water, filtered by nature, no expensive mechanical filters. The process can take about 3 weeks to really purify the water but someday, someone will do it.

[W.H. Cosgrove]

I was told in Scottsdale a few years ago that the high salt contents of the effluent were causing problems.  This was particularly a problem in the desert due to low natural rainfall, which did not allow the rain water to flush the toxins (salts) from the grass. 

If this information is correct, then Paspalum would seem a natural for courses using effluents. 

Any comments from the agronomists out there?

[Mike_Young]

Pat,
I have found that with Paspalum..some people expect more than it promises in the beginning.  Once it has grown in it is easier to maintain with brackish, effluent etc water but the grow in requires a significant amount of fresh water or there will be problems....

[igrowgrass]

As far as the effluent water, a few years ago, Olympic Club, Lake Merced and SFGC all switched over.   Lake Merced spent an enormous amount of money to build 2 huge tanks, (one fresh water and one effluent) and a new computer system which allows them to direct either fresh or effluent to basically any sprinkler head.  They specifically wanted fresh on the greens and tees.

Olympic and SFGC basically rolled the dice and monitored it very closely.  In the end, there has been no change, no damage, no effects.

I would be more inclined to believe they have two completely separate systems.  One that runs fresh water to greens and tees.  The other running effluent water to all the other irrigation.  I don't believe these systems would be connected.  I believe Sebanock has a similar system, or so I have been told.

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