If we're talking about public perception of waste, statistics, whether global or local, are unimportant. Statistics are for the informed. Change the perception if you want to change public opinion.
The perception of the uneducated public is that golf courses waste resources. How do we change perception? Education? To a point. I've read some good books on environmentally exceptional courses. Unfortunately, Average Joe doesn't generally peruse the books I find on The Armenian's bookshelves. Nor do the statistics I've read quoted here make much sense to Mr. Public. We can start educating the young. We can educate our friends and neighbors one at a time. We can take on the public en masse via the media.
I live in Boulder City, a small town just outside of Las Vegas. Because of the drought, we are currently limited to watering once a week. My day is Wednesday, and if I forget my turf and plants go thirsty for an extra week. We have been informed there are patrols of Water Policemen out and about, gleefully ticketing any rebellious elements who have the temerity to water their oleander on the wrong day.
There are three golf courses in the small town of Boulder City. The oldest, the Boulder City course, is a nasty thing that was redone poorly a few years ago. It has several unrelated and atrocious waterfalls amongst other architectural features too awful to go into, and the worst conditioning imaginable. Shudder.
The newest, Boulder Creek, is mostly delightful, but its construction did cause quite a bit of consternation among the citizenry. Even now, as the 36 holes enter the final stages of completion, residents are somewhat resentful. It's close enough to town for the locals to gaze out over their browning lawns to see the sprinklers watering the verdant fairways every night.
Finally, right outside our fair community, hidden away in the mountains, lies Cascata, a literal oasis. Its claim to fame is the forty-four-hundred-thousand-million-quadrillion foot waterfall that snakes across the desert to fill the various ponds, pools, creeks, and streams that add to the illusion of plenty. The conditioning is perfect. There is, we were told, no limit on the maintenance budget.
Architectural considerations aside, Cascata is a public relations nightmare. I stopped at the bank on my way home and mentioned to the teller I had been up to see it. I got an earful. I've since asked many locals their opinions. The overriding perception is that this is an elite course for the privileged few, which uses an unfair proportion of our city's resources and gives nothing back to the community. This may or may not be true, but it is the widely held opinion of the local populace. There is no doubt that this course, and others like it, do not serve The Game in general.
I'm not opposed to big, green, water-guzzling, environment-polluting golf courses . . . not even those without conservation practices. I am not an environmentalist. I think it's awfully cocky of man to believe we can destroy the planet . . . or save it. That's the provenance of a higher authority. But I digress.
The point is, public perception is important if new courses are to be built and old ones maintained without constant battles over the environment.
Here's an idea. Stop the practice of overseeding with rye in the winter. Let's send the message that we want to play on dormant grass. Dormant grass is so much more seeming; it fits into the desert landscape far better than does the green green green grass of home.
Dry fairways in winter could go a long way towards changing public perception of golf course waste in general. Imagine an advertising campaign that would not only bring in golfers who enjoy running the ball along strategic ground contours, but that would change public perception, as well.
It's a start . . .
