By: Chris Conran
Golf has always been a popular sport in the US and the rest of the world. Regardless of droughts and water shortages, it seems courses always have enough water to keep the fairways green. Environmental groups have been cracking down on water usage, and it’s only a matter of time before golf courses are a primary target.
A typical golf course requires 130,000 gallons of water per day in the summer to maintain healthy vegetation. The average cost of water in the United States is only $1.50 per every 1,000 gallons of water, and just in water costs alone, this is only around $195. Seems cheap right? That’s because water is a bargain, so why should golf courses ever think about conserving water? That cost is probably recouped with the first foursome they send out each day.
Some ways landscape architects can reduce the amount of water consumption would be to change the type of grass and growth on the course. The high rough area would be native, untouched vegetation that requires little to no water due to its adaptation of the natural climate. It will fit into the surrounding layout around the golf course as well. The rough can use St. Augustine grass, seashore paspalum, and Kentucky bluegrass. All of which are very drought tolerant types of grass. Since golfers will remain picky as far as the greens as fairways go, these will have to remain bentgrass or Bermuda grass.
If we can create a course where you only water exactly what you need, we can save on water throughout the courses of the country. Watering tee boxes, fairways, greens, and the light rough. We can make a difference and save water, it will just require some research and proper landscape planning. We have you covered at Stack Rock Group!
Thinking about making your golf course more sustainable? Stack Rock Group will help you determine feasibility, conceptualize, envision, budget, design, and find the right contractors to make your golf course more sustainable.
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