Use Less, Recycle More
Efficient water management is a significant economic issue for many golf businesses. For most there is more that can be done, not simply to reduce overall consumption, but also to move away from the use of high quality water.
The industry must find alternatives to the use of high quality water to irrigate golf courses. It’s a challenge that many golf clubs have already adapted to, and all will face in the future, irrespective of location.
As an essential resource for all life - a resource that is in short supply and requires energy intensive forms of treatment - the use of drinkable water to make turfgrass look good cannot be justified.
Meeting the challenge
Alternatives to the use of piped drinking water, river and groundwater must be found.
- More sustainable sources of irrigation water are: harvested and stored rainwater, ‘grey’ waste water, surface runoff and treated sewage effluent - either as single sources or more often in combination.
- Desalination has a role to play, particularly in the short term, as facilities need water to become established. This does, however, have an environmental cost - fossil fuels are commonly required to power the reverse osmosis process, and concentrated saline brine is produced. This is why desalination cannot alone be used to justify unsustainable levels of golf development in areas where sustainable water sources are not available.
- Significant water savings can be made with staff and customer education, and also by deploying technologies such as motion sensors and low pressure fitments. Water efficient appliances also contribute to reducing consumption.
Learn how GEO Certified™ golf clubs are using water responsibly:
Highlands Country Club
Highlands irrigation pond is fed by a creek that flows year round. An excellent renewable resource that is never in danger of shortage because of the huge number of springs, wells and runoff from the the Appalachians mountains. Irrigation practices are kept to a minimum through regular hand-watering - especially on greens.
Hirsala Golf
Hirsala was developed with stringent requirements from government and high community expectations. Irrigation water comes from the club's own reservoirs and consists mainly of rainwater. A sophisticated irrigation system achieves very fine control of turf conditioning, saving water and energy in varying climatic conditions.
Read the GEO Certified™ Report for Hirsala
