Golfdom, March 2015

SymptomS of dehydration The Turf Doc 2013 Plant Health Writer of the Yearof Year Ò h i f The water issue facing California is forcing hard choices and one of the most polarizing images or more likely the lightning rod for discussion is golf courses Ó k karl DanneberGer PH D Science Editor Gimme some water A s Eddie Money once sang Gimme some water Water is the worlds most precious resource I hear that statement or versions of it made all the time and I believe it When you live east of the Mississippi River surrounded by the Great Lakes and rivers like the Ohio it is hard to fully appreciate what it means to deal with a lack of water or water that is costly and of poor quality Unfortunately this is a daily occurrence in the western United States especially in a state like California In the past year the national news was continually running stories on the severity of the California drought In December heavy rains and mudslides in California washed the drought off the front pages However a recent visit to northern California revealed that the drought is far from over With no rain in January and with a below normal snowpack the coming year is shaping up to be a tough one for most of the state The water issue facing California is forcing hard choices and one of the most polarizing images or more likely the lightning rod for discussion is golf courses I attended and spoke at a Northern California GCSA seminar where I learned firsthand the water issues facing northern California superintendents The first thing I learned was water is a complex issue and no single solution fits all For example given the hundreds of water districts geological variations and water sources the availability or allotment of water can vary in extremes from enough water to none Some of the thoughts that I took away from the meeting are effluenT waTer Over the years California golf courses have moved to effluent as a water source Effluent implies too much undesirable water but in some situations the quality of effluent was better than the potable water source stream river etc for irrigation Some courses would like to rely on effluent even more Interestingly in some situations water conservation with effluent is not necessary desirable The need to use the effluent water before its deposited in the ocean can result in water districts encouraging golf courses to use as much as possible CosT of waTer Golf courses that were provided water cheaply by a city or district in years past are now raising rates significantly resulting in golf clubs rapidly trying to find alternative water sources In addition a few California water districts have implemented turf rebates which consist of paying homeowners and businesses like golf courses to remove turf areas and establish them to native or desert In some instances the cost of maintaining these areas will eventually be more than the rebate money received But many golf courses believe it is the right thing to do TeCHniCally manaGeD waTer Thats what I call water judiciously managed by superintendents which means continual measuring and monitoring for the purpose of applying irrigation as efficiently as possible As the drought continues turf areas that are watered shrink from tees greens and landing areas in fairways to no irrigation of fairways to the point where the water just runs out Unfortunately golfers dont always understand why they are playing on less than ideal conditions CommuniCaTion Communication is a critical aspect in water management not only with golfers but also with water district boards One of the comments that stuck with me was a panelist who basically said these board members want to get re elected so they want to work with people or at least get as much input as they can Superintendents and or clubs need to be involved with the local water district making it clear how the golf course uses water and also getting involved in determining allotments Upon returning to cold and wet Ohio I have a much deeper appreciation of the superintendents who deal with water issues even if it is not covered in my local paper Karl Danneberger Ph D Golfdoms science editor and a professor at The Ohio State University can be reached at danneberger 1@ osu edu 38 Golfdom March 2015 Golfdom com