Wake Up and Smell the Water

The mantra all golf superintendents now have to live by is “water is the new oil.” Our profession is scrutinized, criticized, and demonized for using too much of this valuable natural resource. We are taken to task for over watering our lush, green fields of well fertilized turf grass for the pleasure of the rich and famous and to the detriment of the sensitive environment that surrounds us.

All that might sound good and smart but it just isn’t true. The golf industry shows more initiative than most to conserve water on all types of golf courses. And it might surprise people to know that one of the best examples of sound water management practices one of our most famous golf playgrounds, Pebble Beach Resort on California’s Monterey Peninsula. Because besides all its cachet and beauty, Pebble Beach is one of the most pristine and diverse costal environments on the planet, and the people responsible for keeping it playable are committed to keeping the area safe.

Pebble Beach has been investigating, implementing, and utilizing water saving technology, water reduction, and precise water distribution on the peninsula for many years. They use a significant amount of potable water, which was a huge concern to the community. So beginning back in 1994, the Pebble Beach Company developed a permanent, sustainable solution. While their actions required substantial financial commitment and in many instances cannot be duplicated, they stand as smart and caring examples of how different parties can work together to find a solution.

Pebble Beach Company (PBC) began this process by:

• Irrigating with tertiary–treated, recycled water.
• Upon discovering that the salt content of this water was too high for use on its courses, PBC funded a second phase to rehabilitate a 320-acre feet reservoir for recycled water storage.
• Upgrading with a state-of-the-art microfiltration/reverse osmosis system.
• Completing the above enabled PBC and the other courses in Del Monte Forest to exclusively use recycled water to irrigate seven golf courses, athletic fields, and selected landscaping.
• As a result, PBC’s water needs were satisfied, and just as important, the local environment and community concerns were handled properly and wisely.

However, using effluent or recycled water from waste containment sites with high sodium concentration is always a concern. It’s necessary to routinely “flush” with quality water to avoid potential negative impact to turf grass and landscaping. This created another local concern. So PBC launched a second phase, designed to improve the reservoir by allowing for storage and distribution of recycled water:

• The size of the reservoir was expanded from 320 to 350-acre feet.
• Sophisticated leak detection and monitoring equipment was installed, along with micro-strainers for algae control.
• Modern and efficient pumping systems were installed.
• The reservoir was seismically fitted and sealed with a vinyl liner.

With storage and transport concerns rectified, in 2006 PBC moved to further enhance the water quality within the reservoir by:

• Installing a microfiltration system and reverse osmosis (RO) as treatment technologies.
• The RO process was added to remove significant amounts of sodium and total dissolved salts.
• Only a small portion of the microfiltration treated water is treated by the RO system to minimize post-treatment chemical additions.

These actions show how golf courses can keep the future in mind while protecting those around them. And PBC is not done. Today, they are implementing the next step in water saving technology and distribution.

Since 2008, Pebble Beach Company, in conjunction with Rain Bird, has been implementing the new Integrated Control System www.rainbird.com/golf/products/field/ICsystem.htm As a result, less water is used, while being distributed more uniformly with the ability to isolate to one irrigation head to a designated location on the golf course.

• The IC system is a single-station satellite located at the sprinkler or valve.
• With up to 750 sprinklers per wire path, there are no electrical limitations. Heads can be added anywhere on the course and have direct computer communication with the head.
• The amount of copper wire in the ground is reduced up to 90 percent compared to a traditional satellite system. This makes the IC system easier to install, quicker to troubleshoot, and less expensive.
• There are no unattractive field satellite boxes and no maintenance costs for their upkeep.

I recently toured Pebble Beach with Golf Course Superintendent Chris Dalhamer, CGCS, who is very please to have so many additional irrigation options for daily resort play and especially for tournament preparation. The ability to isolate water distribution uniformity to site-specific areas means Chris and his staff can provide consistent playing conditions for resort guest as well as U.S. Open contestants.

Chris explains how Pebble Beach is more water friendly that ever:

• Courses use less water by irrigating an area with only one sprinkler head rather than a group of heads. That means less overlap and less water.
• Playing conditions are more consistent thanks to eliminating overly wet or dry spots.
• He’s better able to manage kikuyugrass removal and control. Isolating water distribution allows him to establish a turf grass foundation to compete with the encroaching kikuyu along coastal areas.
• Additional irrigation heads operated on a specific schedule mean fewer under-watered areas.
• Specific playing features – such as bunker banks, fairway perimeters, and putting greens – get extra water only where required. As an example, south-facing bunker slopes can now be irrigated on a limited area without soaking the entire sand feature.
• They can be sure of a more controlled dry down for tournament play with fewer man-hours of labor and an even distribution of water. This would have greatly enhanced the USGA’s “brown is the new green” philosophy during the 2010 U.S. Open Championship.

It’s true, PBC is better able than many facilities to have the financial resources to implement this kind of program. But that doesn’t mean other courses, clubs, and resorts can’t find new ways to improve their water systems while improving the game and their relationship with their local environment and their neighbors. Every superintendent should be devoting time and resources to water. Both individually and as an industry, we must keep doing this and conducting turf grass research on all levels.

Water issues are only going to get more serious, and very soon, in many parts of the country – as well as around the world – water could become more precious than oil. It is a precious resource that has to be shared with every other living thing on the planet. The example of Pebble Beach shows that we all have to work hard and intelligently – and not wait until the last minute – to address these issues. Because if we don’t find new ways to use less water, we soon won’t have any water at all.