Jump into action

Water is the lifeblood of any golf course, nurturing and sustaining the valuable playing surface maintained and manicured by superintendents. But these days, water usage is being watched with a close eye by all parties concerned, from members to government agencies. Thus, it is vital and in superintendents’ best interests to have an action plan in place about their water usage and getting the word out about how and why water is being used at their courses.

“Water management has always been an important issue for superintendents because it directly impacts the playability of the golf course,” says Pat Gross, director of the Southwest Region for the United States Golf Association’s Green Section. “Two main issues have recently made it even more critical. One, the increased price of water, which significantly affects the bottom line, and two, mandatory water cutbacks, which have forced superintendents to make difficult decisions about where to cut back irrigation on the golf course.”

With recent droughts in such states as Texas and California, the use of water has become even more of an issue than it has been, says Brian Vinchesi, a design engineer with Irrigation Consulting Inc. “Golf course irrigation is a very visible use of water, and as such golf courses, and therefore the superintendent, needs to be employing proper water management techniques no matter what their source of water,” he says.

Water use is under more scrutiny than it was a few years ago, “which many find hard to believe,” he says, adding, “Superintendents also need to be able to defend their techniques at any moment.”

Water is a huge issue for Ryan Tuxhorn, superintendent at Somerset Hills Country Club in… no, not California, as you might imagine, but New Jersey.

“Everyone talks about chemicals and fertilizers, but water is the most integral part to maintaining turf and affects conditions more than anything else,” Tuxhorn says. “The drier you can keep your conditions, the better playing conditions you should have and the less growth regulator and fungicide you use.”

As "firm and fast" and keeping conditions drier remains a trend in course setup, water usage will only get more tightly managed, Tuxhorn says.

“Courses should already be preparing for that,” he says. “Micromanaging water and training grass to grow with less water should be extremely important moving forward. It's something that we are 100 percent focused on.”

Superintendents need to be visible and ready to talk about how they manage water.

“The worst thing they can do is hide and let someone else tell their story,” Gross says. “Superintendents are experts on the topic of irrigation and water use, and they should be willing to step up and tell their story.”

Superintendents also need to be smart about how they are using water and avoid perceptions that they are wasting water.

“It’s not a good idea to be operating overhead sprinklers during the day and see water running down the street when the rest of the neighborhood is dealing with strict water restrictions,” Gross says. And, the last thing superintendents should do is become defensive when questioned about their water usage. “Golf is a business and like any other business it needs access to water,” Gross says. “There is no need to be ashamed of that. The key is to let people know that golf courses are only using as much water as necessary and they are using water as efficiently as possible.”

Vinchesi advises superintendents to be “transparent” with the various groups they answer to directly and indirectly. But, how they present their water usage may vary for each of these groups.

“With the club’s board, they need to be very blunt,” Vinchesi says. “In other words, tell them how much water is being used and why, what can the board do to lower water usage if the maintenance staff had the right equipment, money, etc.

“The same with ownership,” he adds. “With members, you want to explain how much water you use and why, how you determine the amount you use and where it comes from. For the community at large, water use should be explained in terms of how you are saving water and how the irrigation system you have is as efficient as possible.”

Communication is paramount with members, as courses and facilities with restrictions are forced to prioritize areas of the property to devote their irrigation cycles, says Brian Benedict, superintendent at The Seawane Club, Long Island, N.Y.

“Just as you have seen in California, many superintendents are forced to turn rough areas off and only water fine turf,” Benedict says. “As the water dries up, we are forced to reevaluate the areas we cover with the water at hand. Many clubs are being forced to turn fairways off and just water greens, tees and approaches.”

When this occurs, communication is key, so that “everyone at the club is on the same page and aware of the circumstances at hand,” he adds

Through communication, the superintendent can identify a list of the most important areas that get water first. When communicating with management and membership during situations of water reduction, it is important to make the prioritized list known to all so you can stay ahead of the naysayers, Benedict says.

A proactive approach with key club and community leaders regarding a course’s specific water situation is always a solid strategy, says Dan Meersman, director of grounds at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Pennsylvania. For example, prefacing consumption in more specific terms, such as per acre, helps keep water use in an accurate perspective for all parties.

“Otherwise, folks can take what seems like a large number and use that information in a negative fashion,” Meersman says. “For this reason, a general blasting of specific information onto the Internet would not be recommended.”

If water quantity, quality or distribution is an issue at a facility, superintendents should not “hide” the fact from membership. “Communicate through proper channels the challenges you face and document issues as they arise,” says Mike Fabrizio, director of grounds and golf maintenance at The Daniel Island Club in South Carolina. “Don’t get caught promising something that you may not be able to deliver if it is out of your control.”

Superintendents need to start at the bottom and work their way up when it comes to a water usage plan and documentation, says John Kelly, green superintendent at Kittansett Country Club in Massachusetts.

‘What I mean by that is every site is different and every budget is different,” Kelly says. “A good starting point is providing a quick overview of the site and soils with anticipated water usage to meet expectations.

“Next, I would start education on the water source and how much is available, the quality of the water and distribution system,” he adds. “Having a water budget may also be a key factor during the discussion depending on if you have to buy water for irrigation purposes. Once all of those components are well understood, a water usage program can be initiated.”

Tracking rainfall and water usage and explaining how they interact with one another at certain times of the year, how the rainfall was received and other factors are good, proactive strategies for managing water use expectations.

“I just had a new irrigation system installed in 2013 that took a couple years of `selling,’” Tuxhorn says. “The biggest misconception that the membership had was that more irrigation heads equals more water usage. They wondered could we still stay under our water allocation usage allotment. I had to explain and show the membership how more sprinkler heads would allow us to micromanage where we apply water, leading to less water usage. I took members out in the field and showed them how inadequate our current system was by actually running heads.”

Tuxhorn also informs the members at his club that he attempts to have the most resilient turf possible with the least amount of water. He does this with wetting agents, balancing the soil, biostimulants, thatch management, growth regulators, “a dialed-in fertility program” and “training” the grass to survive with less water.

Gross suggests superintendents have basic documents on hand to communicate their water use strategy. First, is a water management plan. This is a document that explains how water management decisions are made and how the irrigation system is managed. Second, is a drought management plan. This is a document that specifically spells out where and how water will be reduced in case of a drought emergency. Third, is a preventive maintenance program for the irrigation system.

“It’s important to have a checklist of the various maintenance tasks that need to be accomplished and when they are completed,” he says, adding the USGA has developed a targeted Course Consulting Service to help courses create these documents.

Don’t throw out numbers without having solid data to back them up, Vinchesi says. If you need to inform someone about your water use, make sure you have data. That means tracking your water use on a daily, weekly and annual basis. It means knowing how much water you use per irrigation cycle.

“Do not guess or estimate your water use, it will come back to bite you,” Vinchesi says. “You can't manage it if you don't measure it. Do not delegate your irrigation scheduling, be involved. On many courses the assistant superintendent or irrigation technician may be scheduling the irrigation.”

In today's world, the superintendent needs to be aware of how water is being used. “They are going to be asked how much, why so much, and what are they doing to reduce it,” Vinchesi adds. “You cannot stick your head in the sand and just do status quo. Educate yourself on your water supply and quantities so you can answer questions quickly and intelligently. Don't come off as guessing, ignorant or uncaring.”

If you are not already, get a handle, literally and figuratively, on your water usage, keep detailed information and be prepared to present this information to anyone interested in a clear, well-defined manner. It will go a long way in making your difficult task understood and supported.

John Torsiello is a writer based in Torrington, Conn., and is a frequent GCI contributor.