Demand, economic and urgency wll drive change.
At the moment we have mutiple related threads on GCA going on which are intertwined.
1.Membership demand is very strong(indicates demand and resources are high)
2.Seven plus figures devices are deemed necessary and affordable in certain areas so members can have a certain species of grass, where another has been proven to suffice,in often non peak months
Six plus figures are spent creating "perfect"(or not so) bunkers with cement liners.
Surely at some point those $$ can and will be redirected to more sustainable, money saving and eventually essential methods of sustainability
Certain countries/regions recapture their rainwater for drinking water etc.(Bermuda, Mexico, Mediteranean Europe)
Many countries regions use desalinization to irrigate and drink(73% of the earth's surface is water)
Affluent water is used worldwide to irrigate
And at some point golfer's perceptions, expectations and attitudes will,change
Ohoopee, the latest GCA darling, has dry, brownish dormant bermuda-25 years ago a winter destination club in the deep south would've needed vast inputs of water chemicals and crew to maintain a suitable green, tight overseeded playing surfaces for peak play during dormant months.
I played there the last two days and it is a good of a surface as I've seen anywhere at anytime. I was on the golf course/practice area/putting green from 12 pm-5:30 pm the first day and 9 am until 2 pm the second day and I did not see one golf course maintenance worker(other the Superintendant who came out to say hello)
The sky's not falling.