how many gallons to water a golf course

by Daija Kilback 9 min read

How Much Water Golf Courses Need - USGA.ORG

  • Golf courses in cooler climates and high rainfall can use less that 1 acre-foot of water per acre each year. ...
  • A typical growing season in my area (Dayton, Ohio) will create a need for about 6.17 inches or 168,000 gallons per acre. ...
  • The Southwest region had an estimated net decrease of 12 acres. ...

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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

Full Answer

How much water does a golf course use per day?

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.

How much water does a Palm Springs golf course use?

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

What are the biggest costs to golf courses?

Apr 11, 2016 · Golf courses in cooler climates and high rainfall can use less that 1 acre-foot of water per acre each year. (One acre-foot of water is the amount of water covering a one-acre area - roughly one football field - to a depth of one foot, which is equal to 325,851 gallons.) Golf courses in hot, dry climates may require as much as 6 acre-feet of water per acre per year.

How do golf courses get water?

Jan 13, 2022 · It takes 27,154 gallons of water to irrigate one acre of land with an inch of water. This measurement is useful when you need to water one or more acres and need to evaluate whether your current flow rate is adequate for getting it done according to your schedule.

How many gallons of water does a golf course use?

In 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 the average golf course use a day?

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 a lot of water?

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.

How much money do golf courses spend on water?

between $7,000 and $108,000 per yearCost And Amount of Water Used 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.Jul 23, 2020

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 much water do desert golf courses use?

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

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 do golf courses get water?

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.

How do golf courses conserve water?

Any rain that falls on the buildings, pavement and cart paths goes into one of the course reservoirs — which form the major water features on the course. And underground, there are giant cisterns that hold millions of gallons of runoff water from the course.Apr 16, 2015

Are golf courses wasting water?

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. golf courses consume more than 2 billion gallons of water per day, and since one in every 17 of U.S. courses is located in arid and semi-arid California, our 921 courses consume a sizable chunk of that total daily.Jun 18, 2021

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.

Are golf courses bad for the environment?

Environmentalists argue that golf course land is not only a waste of space, but also harbors harmful impacts to the earth and environment, such as pesticide use. This negative impact occurs by using large quantities of water and destroying habitats for wildlife species.Apr 10, 2019

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 water use vary?

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 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 do wet agents help irrigation?

Wetting agents are used by many courses to help the irrigation process. The agent is sent along the pipes with the water to lower the surface tension. This allows the water to pass easily through the soil and spread further.

Why are sensors placed in soil?

Sensors are placed in the soil to measure how much moisture is present. This can greatly help with management of the course as only the areas that need water can be irrigated.

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.

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Where Is The Water used?

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When you ask people who they think would use the most water, many of them would probably say agriculture and farming. Along with farming, golf courses use roughly as much water, or at least they used to. Many countries have now imposed water restrictions on all of the businesses and farms that use water and limited th…
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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 between $7,000 and $108,000 per year…
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Types of Water Used

  • To help maintain the turfgrass, courses use a number of different sources for their water needs. These include:
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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.
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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.
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