The records show 219 golf courses across Arizona used a total of 119,478 acre-feet of water in 2019. The average amount of water used per course was 504 acre-feet during the year, or about 450,000 gallons a day. More than half of the golf courses pump groundwater, which accounted for about 46% of all golf water use in 2019.
Maricopa County golf courses averaged more than 80 million gallons daily for irrigation, according to a 2010 U.S. Geological Survey report. That is more than double second-ranked Riverside County, which includes Palm Springs, Calif. The report is compiled every five years.
Managers of some Arizona golf courses are fighting a plan that would cut water use at a time when the state is being forced to confront shrinking water supplies.
The actual amount of water a golf course needs to sustain healthy turf growth depends on many variables including the species of turf, and the prevailing climate in a given area.
Using water use data nationally, an 18-hole golf course uses an average of 152.5 acre-feet of water per year to irrigate 80.7 acres of turfgrass.
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.
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.
approximately 7 million acre-feetHow much water do we use and how do we use it? In 2017, Arizona's total statewide water use was approximately 7 million acre-feet. Arizona's water use can be divided into three categories: municipal, industrial and agricultural use.
119,478 acre-feetThe records show 219 golf courses across Arizona used a total of 119,478 acre-feet of water in 2019. The average amount of water used per course was 504 acre-feet during the year, or about 450,000 gallons 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.
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.
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.
It's better to water “deeply and infrequently,” Cutler says. About a third of an inch every two to three days is a good goal.
On average, each Arizona resident uses about 146 gallons per day. About 20 percent of the State's water supply is for municipal use, and most of this is residential. Up to 70 percent of that water is used outdoors (watering plants, swimming pools, washing cars, etc.)
According to a 2019 report, the average Phoenix family spends $41.69 on water per month. Since then, the municipal government has approved a 6% hike which works out to an additional $2.37 per month for the average customer.
California farmers pay an average of $70 per acre-foot for water to irrigate crops.
Golf courses, which bring in $3.4 billion annually in Arizona, first came up with conservation strategies under the 1980 Groundwater Management Act.
Irrigation water for golf courses includes surface water, groundwater and reclaimed water, State Department of Water Resources officials said. Ed Gowan, the Arizona Golf Association executive director, believes every golf course would use reclaimed water if the infrastructure was available.
Department of Water Resources spokeswoman Michelle Moreno said reclaimed water use is just a fraction of Arizona's total water use. Investing in infrastructure such as pipes to deliver reclaimed water is often hampered by money and location.
But it costs money, which is being spent on other infrastructure. Many parts of the country simply don't have enough water right now.
These factors can be climate, type of turf grass, agronomic and soils conditions, regulations, and water av ailability.
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.