how many gallons of water does a golf course use a day

by Prof. Kelsi Wyman 5 min read

Audubon International estimates that the average American course uses 312,000 gallons per day. In a place like Palm Springs, where 57 golf courses challenge the desert, each course eats up a million gallons a day.Jun 11, 2008

How much water do I need to irrigate my golf course?

Dec 03, 2021 · A typical 18-hole golf course uses an average of 152 gallons of water per day, according to national water use data. An irrigation system that uses 80 gallons of water per year is possible. There are 7 acres of turfgrass on this property.

Do golf courses use a lot of water?

water use for golf course irrigation in the U.S. was estimated to be 2,312,701 acrefeet per year. That equates to approximately 2.08 billion gallons of water per day for golf course irrigation in the U.S. According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2000” report, approximately 408 billion

How much water does a Palm Springs golf course use?

Mar 11, 2019 · A typical growing season in my area (Dayton, Ohio) will create a need for about 6.17 inches or 168,000 gallons per acre. Course size varies, but consider a course with 130 irrigated acres and you have a total water need around 21 million gallons. If the year has more beneficial rain events, the irrigation water use declines drastically.

What are the biggest costs to golf courses?

408 billion gallons of water per day are withdrawn in the U.S. Golf course irrigation accounts for 0.5 percent of this total. Water use varies significantly by agronomic region. An average 18-hole golf facility in the Southwest region uses an average of 4 …

How much water does a golf course use daily?

Courses around the U.S. suck up around approximately 2.08 billion gallons of water per day for irrigation. That's about 130,000 gallons per day per course, according to the golf industry.Jun 18, 2015

How much water does an average golf course use per year?

90 million gallonsIn California, an average 18-hole golf course sprawls over 110 to 115 acres and conservatively uses almost 90 million gallons of water per year, enough to fill 136 Olympic-size swimming pools, said Mike Huck, a water management consultant who works with golf courses statewide.

How many gallons of water does it take to maintain a golf course?

A typical 150-acre golf course uses approximately 200 million gallons of water a year, enough to supply 1,800 residences with 300 GPD of water.Mar 29, 2021

How much water does golf use and where does it come from?

Golf, he said, consumes less than 1% of all water used in California, but nearly 25% of Coachella Valley water.Oct 9, 2021

Are golf courses watered?

On average a modern golf course needs 100 000 to 1 000 000 gallons of water per week to maintain playability.

How much water does a golf course use per acre?

Water use varies significantly by agronomic region. An average 18-hole golf facility in the Southwest region uses an average of 4 acre-feet of water per irrigated acre per year. An average 18-hole golf facility in the Northeast region uses an average of 0.8 acre-feet of water per irrigated acre per year.

Do golf courses use alot of water?

Audubon International estimates that the average American course uses 312,000 gallons per day. In a place like Palm Springs, where 57 golf courses challenge the desert, each course eats up a million gallons a day.Jun 11, 2008

Do golf courses use potable water?

Getting Water For Your Course April 11, 2016. Golf courses use a variety of water sources for turfgrass irrigation including groundwater, surface water (lakes, rivers and reservoirs), recycled water, and municipal potable water supplies.

Why do golf courses drink water everyday?

Typically, putting greens are irrigated at night or early in the morning. However, during periods of hot weather or low humidity, turf may need additional water throughout the day because soils can quickly dry out. Light watering during the day helps keep putting greens healthy and playing well.Jun 16, 2017

How much water do UK golf courses use?

A typical golf course uses anywhere between 378.5 m3 to 3,785 m3 of water per week in summer. That's a lot! At higher consumption levels, this could be costing you over £8,000 a year.Apr 10, 2019

How are golf courses watered?

0:193:10Watering The Golf Course: From Source to Sprinkler - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipCourse every golf course is unique. So water comes from a variety of sources. Some courses useMoreCourse every golf course is unique. So water comes from a variety of sources. Some courses use underground wells others rely on storm water collection. And many courses today are also using recycled.

Why do golf courses need so much water?

3. Water use has a major influence on the playability of a golf course. Judicious water use that emphasizes firm, fast conditions is more enjoyable for all skill levels of golfers and is a goal that the USGA strongly supports.

How much water does an 18 hole golf course use?

Depending on the location of the golf course and the climate, an 18-hole course can use on average 2.08 billion gallons of water per day. Depending on the amount of water needed, a typical golf course can spend between $7,000 and $108,000 per year. However, many courses use various methods to water their turfgrass spaces to help limit their need ...

Why is there more demand for water?

As well as trying to reduce pollution, rising temperatures have seen more demand on water supplies that has to be managed to ensure there is always fresh water available. Over the past few years, more countries have had to impose water restrictions and spend more money on their infrastructure to ensure no water is lost.

How is water extracted from a shaft?

A shaft is dug down to the water source , and then the water is extracted for irrigation. As with ground-level water, the levels can fluctuate through the year and can also be used by municipal water companies as well.

Do grasses need irrigation?

This grass also needs irrigation , but that increases the demand for water. To counteract this, some courses have removed the areas of grass that are not needed and replaced it with cacti can desert-loving plants. These need little irrigation, and they are also a good contrast to the green fairways and greens.

Do golf courses use water?

Many countries have now imposed water restrictions on all of the businesses and farms that use water and limited the amount they can use in a year. Golf courses have a two-fold use for water. The first and greatest use is on the maintained turfgrass.

Can grasses tolerate salt water?

However, research has been going on into alternatives that not only need less water but can also handle more salt. Poor quality water often has a higher salt content, which can be bad for the grasses. By increasing their tolerance, water from more sources can be used.

Do golf courses have water restrictions?

Along with this, they will often have other facilities such as clubhouses, conference facilities, and other areas that may also need to use water. The restrictions placed on golf courses has meant that they have had to implement strategies to monitor and save water where possible.

What are the factors that affect the water availability of a golf course?

These factors can be climate, type of turf grass, agronomic and soils conditions, regulations, and water av ailability.

Why does irrigation need to vary?

Irrigation Needs. Each course will vary because of size of the irrigated area and management practices. Also, water use each year will vary depending on climatic conditions. The timing and amount of rainfall, temperatures each month, and sunshine. There is no fixed answer.

How many golf courses use recycled water?

Perhaps as many as 1,000 courses are using recycled or reclaimed water, and the United States Golf Association has made that mandatory for some areas of the Southwest. New grasses are being developed that require less moisture to thrive. Overseeding is being frowned upon.

Is golf facing a crisis over water?

And then it outlines what must be done. It won't be easy.

Do water-thirsty golf courses need to go green?

Water-Thirsty Golf Courses Need to Go Green. This Scottsdale, Ariz., golf course is one of about 16,000 across the United States. This Scottsdale, Ariz., golf course is one of about 16,000 across the United States.

Is overseeding golf green?

Overseeding is being frowned upon. Courses are being returned more to their natural state, so grass will often have to lose some of its sheen. You see, at the end of the day, for golf to go green and accommodate itself to the real world, it's simply going to have to be much more brown. Special Series.

How much water does a golf course use?

Courses around the U.S. suck up around approximately 2.08 billion gallons of water per day for irrigation. That’s about 130,000 gallons per day per course, according to the golf industry.

How many sprinklers are there in a golf course?

Today's golf courses use technology to make watering even more precise. A typical golf course may have 3,000 sprinklers buried throughout the different areas, explained David Angier, a senior marketing manager with Toro Golf Irrigation.

What percentage of golf course land is not being used?

A 2009 study published in USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online showed that 70 percent of golf course land wasn’t being actively used, and could be managed to increase amphibian, bird and other wildlife populations.

How many golf courses are there in California?

Since there are about 1,140 golf courses in California, reducing water use by one quarter would reduce consumption by 37 million gallons of water per day -- about a million bathtubs full. The golf industry uses a substantial amount of water and is therefore working on ways to make courses more sustainable, with new irrigation technologies, ...

Why do golf courses have weather stations?

Around the same time, golf courses in the Southwest started putting up their own weather stations to record all kinds of data, including temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, and precipitation. That data helps them make computerized decisions about when and how much to water.

What are the two goals of golf?

He pointed out that in golf -- as opposed to agriculture – people have to keep two goals in mind: aesthetics and playability of the turf. For example, irrigation systems based on evapotranspiration, -- evaporation of water from surfaces and transpiration by plants of water in soil over time ...

Does Bermuda grass need less water?

The USGA's green section is also working to make the traditional grasses, including Bermuda, use less water. Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M University have demonstrated that Bermuda grass can survive on just 60 percent of estimated ET during the summer.

What percentage of California's water is used by farms?

Farms, of course, are the state’s biggest water user, consuming 80 percent of the state’s developed water.

How long will the Los Angeles water cuts last?

Although no one has estimated the specifics of the state’s water use since 2003, officials predict that the cuts will save nearly 500 billion gallons of H2O over nine months—enough for all Los Angeles homes and businesses for about two years.

image

Where Is The Water used?

Cost and Amount of Water Used

  • Water is one of the biggest costs to golf courses, and this is another reason why many have tried to save as much water as possible. Depending on the location of the golf course and the climate, an 18-hole course can use on average 2.08 billion gallons of water per day. Depending on the amount of water needed, a typical golf course can spend betwee...
See more on twl-irrigation.com

Types of Water Used

  • To help maintain the turfgrass, courses use a number of different sources for their water needs. These include:
See more on twl-irrigation.com

How Can Golf Courses Save Water?

  • Water conservation is always high on the agenda for golf courses, and there has been a lot of research on how they can effectively use less water. Here are a few of the ways that courses try to use less water.
See more on twl-irrigation.com

Conclusion

  • Golf is one of the most popular outdoor sports for professional and amateur players. This means golf courses will always need to be at the top of their game to ensure that their clubs are ready to meet the demands of players and water conservation. Head here for our range of golf course irrigation systems.
See more on twl-irrigation.com