The GCSAA and the Environmental Institute for Golf’s Golf Course Environmental Profile Project provide extensive data about golf courses’ sustainability efforts.
The most recent report, “Water Use and Conservation on U.S. Golf Courses,” establishes baseline information about the industry’s water use, conservation practices and irrigation systems.
The more than 16,500 superintendents at all U.S. golf courses were invited to participate in the survey; 15 percent or a total of 2,548 golf facilities responded. Key findings include the data depicted below. A few figures of interest:
28 – The percent of 18-hole golf facilities in the Northeast agronomic region that have written drought-management plans – more than any other region.
1,198,381 – The estimated number of irrigated golf course turfgrass in the U.S. There are an estimated 2,244,512 total acres of land on golf facilities in the U.S.
0.5 – The percent of total water withdrawn per day nationwide that’s used on golf courses, based on the average water use for golf course irrigation from 2003-2005 (2,312,701 acre-feet per year, which equals about 2.08 billion gallons) and the U.S. Geoogical Survey’s “Estimated Use of Water in the U.S. in 2000” report, which says approximately 408 billion gallons of water per day are withdrawn nationwide.
25 – The percent of all 18-hole golf courses that are subject to a recurring annual irrigation water allocation.
Using it
Average water use for 18-hole golf facilities in the U.S. (acre-feet)
Southwest 459.0
Upper West/Mountain 300.4
Southeast 241.8
Pacific 158.0
Transition 78.9
North Central 76.7
Northeast 42.4
U.S. Average 152.5
Average water use per irrigated turfgrass acre (acre-feet)
Southwest 4.0
Upper West/Mountain 2.9
Southeast 2.4
Pacific 1.9
Transition 1.1
North Central 1.2
Northeast 0.8
U.S. Average 2.0
Water sources for 18-hole courses (many golf courses have more than one source available for irrigation)
52% use water from ponds or lakes
46% use water from on-site wells
17% use water from rivers, streams and creeks
14% use water from municipal water systems
12% use recycled water for irrigation (effluent, reclaimed)
Paying for it
Annual irrigation costs by agronomic region
Southwest $107,800
North Central $4,700
Northeast $6,300
Transition $6,900
Southeast $15,000
Upper West/Mountain $20,800
Pacific $42,400
U.S. Average $29,100
% of golf facilities that don’t pay for water
Southwest 18
North Central 62
Northeast 57
Transition 64
Southeast 58
Upper West/Mountain 37
Pacific 50
U.S. Average 49
% of courses with increased water costs since 2001
Southwest 72
North Central 61
Northeast 42
Transition 44
Southeast 47
Upper West/Mountain 41
Pacific 69
U.S. Average 53
U.S. average cost of increase – 40%
Saving it
% of golf facilities using recycled irrigation water
Southwest 37
North Central 3
Northeast 3
Transition 4
Southeast 24
Upper West/Mountain 17
Pacific 17
U.S. Average 12
Private and public golf facilities showed no difference in recycled water use, but more golf facilities with a greater number of holes and higher maintenance budgets used recycled water for irrigation. The most common reason for not using recycled water (53%) was lack of a source.
% of golf facilities using conservation methods
Wetting agents 92%
Hand watering 78%
Keeping turf drier 69%
Mulching landscape beds 51%
Using irrigation scheduling techniques 47%
Adjusting fertilizer practices 45%
Partial irrigation system upgrades 37%
Raising mowing heights 36%
Incorporating soil amendments 31%
Complete irrigation system upgrades 22%
Reducing irrigated acres 20%
Pruning tree roots 20%
Automatic rain shut-off switches 19%
Drip irrigation for landscape plants 16%
Switching to low-water use landscape plants 16%
Switching to drought-tolerant turf 13%
Water harvesting 9%
Professional irrigation system audit 7%
Soil sensors 3%
% of golf facilities with written drought management plans
By region
Southwest 19
North Central 3
Northeast 28
Transition 11
Southeast 19
Upper West/Mountain 20
Pacific 12
U.S. Average 15
By number of holes
9 9
18 15
27 20
By facility type (18-hole)
Public 13
Private 19
By maintenance budget (18-hole)
<$500,000 9
$500,000-$999,999 19
$1 million or > 22
For the full report, click here.