 |
|
||||||||||
Gazing in the Grass... Water less, and say so...The Chinese character for 'political order' is based on the symbol of water. In Chinese culture, those who control water control the power. That also is true in some parts of this country. What if that power was mobilized and turned against golf? Oddly enough, based on estimates from the Pacific Institute, a non-partisan think tank in California, the United States uses far less water per capita and less water in total than it did 25 years ago. So why bother pondering the hypothetical? Mostly because, as with many political issues – and be sure water is a political issue – sometimes the facts are blurred by emotion. Not only must we use less water than ever, we must inform people we are doing so. The estimates of water availability usually depict the vastness of the supply and limitations of use. For example, the Pacific Institute says if a 5-gallon bucket represented the world's water supply, the amount of potable water would fit into a coffee cup; the amount accessible to us would fit on a teaspoon. Colorado State University closely examined its state's water usage for golf and the impact it had on the economy. The 2003 survey found that the state's population consumed in 48 hours the amount of water that Colorado golf courses typically use in a year. The findings showed that golf courses use less than 1 percent of the state's water supply. The majority of water is used for energy production, i.e., hydroelectric power. Production agriculture is next. If you consider that various studies say it takes anywhere from 720 to 3,400 gallons of water to produce a steak, our appetite appears insatiable. Looking at these same numbers over 30,000 rounds of golf per year reveals that a single round of golf requires about 3,650 gallons of water.Water use on the average golf course is 300,000 gallons per day. In some regions, that amount can be less than 200,000 gallons or more than 400,000 gallons per day. Looking at these same numbers over 30,000 rounds of golf per year reveals that a single round of golf requires about 3,650 gallons of water. If we are trying to talk steaks and rounds played, it might be interesting to examine the economic value of a round of golf. Researchers in Colorado found that golf contributes $560 million per year to the state's economy. This is equivalent to $15,730 per acre of golf course land (including unmanaged land), and $11,667 per acre-foot of water. So in Colorado, that daily watering would churn about $10,700 into the state's economy. What do these numbers really mean? My sense is that they could say a number of things if we torture them enough. We need to think of strategies that will help us use less water rather than focus on how much water we need. In an interview with the U.S. Golf Association, University of Georgia professor Robert Carrow, Ph.D., said, "If the golf industry, especially club owners, do not come up with 'a plan for water conservation,' then the only recourse is to accept what regulators impose." Carrow has championed the need for best management practices for water conservation on golf courses. The BMP approach is comprehensive, exploring the issue from water source to water delivery. ...if we can reduce the demands on water resources by not using potable water for irrigation then the golf industry as a whole might be placed in a favorable environmental light.In simple terms, if we can reduce the demands on water resources by not using potable water for irrigation then the golf industry as a whole might be placed in a favorable environmental light. However, simply using recycled water in places such as the Southwest might not be sufficient. Residential demands are likely to exceed the existing supplies, ultimately forcing the need to provide residential users with recycled water for daily needs. You wouldn't think in a modern world given to us by our aqueduct-building ancestors that leaky pipes would be a problem, but they are. Some industry estimates suggest we lose up to 40 percent of the water supply to leaky delivery systems. Although this probably is not a significant issue on golf courses, it might be a viable topic for a community considering water-use issues. My favorite conservation strategy is to water less area. Most fairways are overwatered. Most tees could get by with much less. And by all means, stop irrigating rough areas. My favorite conservation strategy is to water less area. Most fairways are overwatered. Most tees could get by with much less. And by all means, stop irrigating rough areas.If you consider the magnitude of conservation the American golf industry could implement by simply focusing water resources on immediate playing surfaces, i.e., some tees, landing areas and putting greens, I am sure we could cut water use to an average of 100,000 gallons per day – a mean reduction of about 67 percent. Management with less water is no free lunch. Our widespread use of sand as a growing medium has created a plague of localized dry spots. This will increase our need for wetting agents, or maybe for a shift to growing mediums that hold slightly more water. We can reduce water use even more if we can move the fail point for our root zones 20 percent in order to avoid localized dryspots. Beyond these obvious management issues, consider the new irrigation system at the National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y. William Salinetti, CGCS, supervised the design and installation of about 3,000 irrigation heads. Although I could argue against the need for so much plastic in the ground, I cannot argue with his obsession over precision. The precise delivery of water is the final frontier for golf course water use. If we consider the minimal amount of water we need to supply and then supply it efficiently, everyone wins. Thinking about how much water we can avoid using is the key to conservation. We had better start soon, before the political 'tide' turns against us. Contributing editor Frank S. Rossi, Ph.D., is associate professor of turfgrass science at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. He can be reached at fsr3@cornell.edu. |
|
 |
 — The TurfNet Media Network: TurfNet.com, TurfNet TV, TurfNet Monthly, TurfNet Today, TurfNet Events — Connecting golf course superintendents worldwide, since 1994. © 1994-2008, Turnstile Publishing Company. All rights reserved. |
 |