Can golf courses reuse drainage water?
Thus, there is a possibility that drainage water outletted into a dry well could be reused on the golf course, assuming the course draws its irrigation water from on-site wells and the water draining from a dry well actually reaches the aquifer.
How does water move through the surface of a golf course?
Water does not, however, only move across the surface; it also moves into the surface. Natural sports turf, such as on a golf course, is porous, with tiny pockets of air between the particles of soil, sand and vegetation.
What is surface drainage on a golf course?
Natural precipitation on a golf course can frequently result in unwanted water that is flowing across the surface or ponded in depressions. The controlled removal of this excess surface water is surface drainage. Rainfall or snowmelt can also infiltrate into the soil and create waterlogged soil conditions.
How much water do golf courses use?
More than half of the golf courses pump groundwater, which accounted for about 46% of all golf water use in 2019. Treated effluent from wastewater plants accounted for 27% of water use, while about 15% was Colorado River water from the CAP Canal.

How do golf courses get watered?
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.
Do golf courses use fresh water?
The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), which serves 105 of the golf courses, draws from the California Water Project, the Colorado River and the aquifer. Kessler, who heads up the Coachella Valley Golf and Water Task Force, said much of the water used to irrigate golf courses is non-potable.
Why do golf courses have ponds?
Many golf courses use their ponds as water retention devices that the irrigation system pulls from nightly. If it weren't for the ponds, the water bill of a single golf course could easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of 12 short months.
Are golf courses a waste of 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.
How many gallons of water does a golf course use in a year?
A typical 150-acre golf course uses approximately 200 million gallons of water a year, enough to supply 1,800 residences with 300 GPD of water.
Do golf courses use GREY water?
In fact, an increasing number of courses are using effluent water – often referred to as “gray water.” Government regulations and water availability have led to the increased use of gray water at golf facilities, says Brian Vinchesi, design engineer at Irrigation Consulting Inc., Pepperell, Mass.
Can you eat bass from a golf course?
Re: Is it safe to eat golf course pond fish? Black spots are parasites and harmless,they put a lot of chemicals on golf courses that may not be good for human consumption. I also have access to fishing a golf course but only CR fish. Highly unlikely!
How do golf courses keep their ponds clean?
A dredge for golf course ponds is the basis for dredging. The machine works by pumping the water and sludge out through a submersible pump and into a series of bladder bags or dewatering tubes. These bags have minuscule holes, which let the water escape but keep the muck inside.
Are golf course ponds toxic?
Farms and golf courses use a variety of chemicals and pesticides that can kill fish and other aquatic animals if sprayed near or in water. Sometimes the chemicals -- even those properly applied -- can be flushed into a canal or pond as run-off during a torrential rainstorm.
How many gallons a day does a golf course use?
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.
Is golf becoming less popular?
Since 2003, there has been a consistent annual decline in the number of golf players. There were 6.8 million fewer golfers in 2018 compared to 2003 — a loss of 22 percent.
Do California golf courses use reclaimed water?
Water-Thirsty Golf Courses Need to Go Green And we're using reclaimed water in a very specific, measured way." A lot of golf courses use recycled or reclaimed water, but Friedlander says Pelican Hill is different. "We're here at the practice facility at Pelican Hill golf club.
Do golf courses use recycled water?
Nationwide, approximately 13% of golf courses use recycled water for irrigation. More facilities would gladly convert to using recycled water, but the main limitation is the lack of a piping system to deliver the recycled water to golf courses, which can cost $1 million per mile or more to install.
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.
Why do golf courses use water?
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.
How much water does a golf course use in 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.
How does water move on a golf course?
Water – whether starting its journey as it falls from droplets from a cloud, flowing in mass as a mighty river, or puddling on a golf course – moves as a consequence of gravity. As such, rainwater that finds its way onto a course will follow the natural contours of the land until it is (hopefully) able to drain away. This is why a thorough understanding of a course’s topography is so vital to developing an accurate picture of the way water moves across a course, and considering effective remedial measures against waterlogging.
What is primary drainage?
A primary drainage system consists of a series of ‘lateral’ drains installed across the area in question, connecting to a ‘main’ carrier pipe that channels the water collected by the system to an outfall. So far, so simple.
How does water enter a plastic pipe?
Water enters the plastic pipe through its perforations, before being carried away to outfall via the main pipe. As a consequence of the size of these perforations however, plastic pipes can run the risk of blockage through the cumulative build-up of silt particles that enter the drain. Consequently, it is crucial that plastic pipe drains are ...
How does secondary drainage work?
In cases where functional, but inadequately spaced primary drainage systems exist, secondary drainage solutions such as sand-banding or ‘earthquaking’ may prove effective in encouraging surface water that moves across the pitch to find its way more efficiently into the primary drains, thereby increasing the rate of drainage . This can lend a new lease of life to an aging draining system, increasing the rate at which surface water can find its way into the primary drainage system, thereby improving its performance at relatively low cost.
Is golf turf porous?
Natural sports turf, such as on a golf course, is porous, with tiny pockets of air between the particles of soil, sand and vegetation. These pockets of air are what the water moves through, and consequently they are crucial to land drainage – as we will discover in the ‘Solutions’ section below. Under ideal conditions, gravity’s pull will see ...
Does water travel through soil?
In almost all cases, the answer to poorly draining ground lies in the pockets of sub-surface air we discussed earlier, through which water travels (or – in the case of poorly draining ground – doesn’t!) Water’s movement through soil, sand or gravel is slow, with droplets seeping through the ground through one air pocket after the next.
Is Turfdry a good drainage company?
Turfdry does not stand alone in the industry when it comes to embracing new technology to develop new solutions to sports turf drainage problems: it is unlikely that Hydraway Sportsdrain will be the only ‘miraculous’ solution you will ever hear about from a drainage contractor. Furthermore, experts may differ on what particular solution or combination of solutions is most appropriate or cost-effective for any particular issue.
Where are dry wells located on golf course?
Dry wells are simply holes in the ground at the end of a drain line that are used to receive the drainage water. These wells, buried beneath the soil surface and containing an adequate soil cover to support turf would essentially be invisible. Frequently, however, these dry wells are undersized and located in slowly permeable soils such that a wet area is created in the vicinity of the well. In other words, the drainage problem is simply moved from one location to another.
What is a golf course watershed?
As illustrated in Figure 1-3, a watershed is that portion of the landscape that contributes water to a single discharge location whether this be a permanent stream, the next higher order stream, a lake or pond. A watershed is defined by its boundary or divide, across which no runoff occurs. This may be a natural feature such as a ridge or artificial features such as sloped cart paths, ditches along roads, or existing storm water drains. All runoff within the boundary will flow to the discharge location while flow outside the boundary will be associated with an adjacent watershed. Delineation of a watershed boundary is typically accomplished using either topographic maps or from direct field surveys for smaller areas. Often, it is sufficient for a superintendent to simply walk the course during a rainstorm to effectively view that portion of the landscape that contributes water to a discharge.
How far should a golf course drain line be?
The drain line should extend a distance of 5 to
How are stormwater wetlands used?
This pool and marsh system subsequently creates growing conditions suitable for wetland plants. Further, stormwater wetlands should not be confused with created wetlands that are used to mitigate the loss of natural wetlands under permitting provisions of wetland protection requirements. The primary goal of wetland mitigation is to replicate species diversity and ecological function of the lost, natural wetland. The more limited goal of stormwater wetlands is to slow stormwater delivery to waterways, aid in pollutant removal and to create a generic wetland habitat.
What are surface drainage channels?
Surface drainage channels on the golf course commonly exist as a branching network of individual channel elements with lower order channels emptying into high order channels. This arrangement is similar to that found naturally in the arrangement of intermittent waterways, streams and rivers. Drainage channel shapes can be triangular, trapezoidal, parabolic, or more complex including a main channel with flood plains. Parabolic shapes are, however, preferred in golf course situations since the areas needing surface drainage are small and a parabolic shape appears more natural. For this reason, we shall only discuss parabolic shaped channels here.
How does subsurface drainage work?
Subsurface drainage is the removal of excess subsurface water by using an underground system of perforated pipes. The key to understand subsurface drainage is knowing how excess subsurface water occurs. Rainfall that infiltrates into the soil surface generally percolates downward through the soil profile until it reaches a saturated zone referred to as groundwater. During periods of higher rainfall and lower evapotranspiration, such as in the spring and fall in the midwest U.S., the upper surface of the groundwater (the water table) rises in the soil profile. When the water table approaches the soil surface, then waterlogged conditions described in Chapter 1 occur. Consequently, the underground system of perforated pipes is used to intercept this groundwater, the rising water entering the pipes from below. The pipe system then routes this water to an outlet, and maintains the water table at a reasonable depth below the soil surface.
What is 404 in wetlands?
Some wetlands were, in the past, modified for golf course construction or renovation by either filling or draining the wetland area. Despite these earlier activities, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act protects many of these wetlands from further drainage or drainage improvements. The Clean Water Act regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material in wetlands, streams, rivers, and other ‘waters of the United States.’ The Army Corps of Engineers is the federal agency that is authorized the issue permits (known as Section 404 permits) for all activities conducted in wetlands.
12. Quarry Oaks Golf Club, Ashland, Neb
Near Omaha, Quarry Oaks Golf Club is one of Nebraska's top daily-fee courses. R. Neibel/VisitNebraska.gov
11. Scotland Run Golf Club, Williamstown, N.J
Architect Stephen Kay has done great work transforming old dumps ( McCullough's Emerald Golf Links) and quarries ( Scotland Run Golf Club) into nice courses throughout New Jersey. The back nine of Scotland Run has holes that weave in and out of rock walls. Some of the elevation changes are 25 to 30 feet.
10. Quarry Golf Club, Canton, Ohio
Built on an old quarry dating back to the 1800s, the Quarry Golf Club (2006) consists of natural waste areas, 100-foot-plus cliffs, streams and deep water lakes. Local architect Brian Huntley tamed these unique features enough to create one of Ohio's best public courses.
9. Ballyowen Golf Club, Hamburg, N.J
A rock formation adds a unique element to the 12th hole at Ballyowen Golf Club. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
8. Oak Quarry Golf Club, Riverside, Calif
The Inland Empire's Oak Quarry Golf Club features a unique quarry setting. Courtesy of Oak Quarry G.C.
7. Wild Rock Golf Club, Wisconsin Dells, Wis
The 179-yard, par-3 15th at Wild Rock Golf Club is both wild and rocky. Courtesy of Wilderness Territory Resort
6. Granite Links Golf Club, Quincy, Mass
The site of Granite Links Golf Club outside Boston was a landfill and mine used for the city's famous "Big dig. Courtesy of Granite Links G.C.
What golf course was built in 1961?
1961: Pine Tree Golf Club | Boynton Beach, Fla. - Dick Wilson, who worked with great Canadian architect Stanley Thompson, turned the profuse flanking bunkering and runway tees that marked "Dark Age" golf course design into high art. The tee box on the par-5 16th at this private club in Boynton Beach is 147 yards long. Sam Snead used to bet visitors that they couldn't hit a 7-iron from end to end. He cleaned up. Hogan called the course "maybe the best flat golf course in America." He's not far off; it's a wonderful example of post-war architecture.
What golf course was built in Scottsdale in 1990?
1990: Troon North Golf Club (Monument) | Scottsdale, Ariz. - Troon North helped accelerate the development of high-end golf in the desert surrounding the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, and it also helped institute the country-club-for-a-day model, where daily fee golfers started to be treated to perks like cushy locker rooms, personalized service, immaculate course conditions and triple-digit green fees. Architects Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, who had considerable success in the last two decades of the century and the early 2000s, added to their successful Troon North debut with the 1995 opening of the Pinnacle Course.
What is the name of the golf course that is located along the coast?
Links course. First up is the most famous type of golf course, the links course . The term derives from the Old English word hlinc meaning rising ground or ridge and refers to sandy area along coast.
How many holes are in a championship golf course?
Most of the time a club saying they have a “Championship Course” doesn’t mean much other than it is 18 holes, fairly long and fairly tough. The phrase “championship” is often used to distinguish courses if a club has more than one to choose from.
What golf courses are there in Augusta National?
Many resorts are beginning to put in short courses including Sand Valley (the Sandbox), Pinehurst (The Cradle) and Bandon Dunes (The Preserve).
What golf courses are in Bandon Dunes?
Some of these courses include The Old Course at St. Andrews, Royal Troon, Lahinch, and several of the courses at Bandon Dunes golf resort. The 18th hole at the Old Course at St. Andrews. But this doesn’t tell the whole story.
What is the best golf course in Britain?
The terrain is often undulating in a similar way to links and the sandy soil is similar as well. Many of the best courses in Britain are heathland courses, including Woking Golf Club, Sunningdale Golf Club, and Alwoodley Golf Club. Woking Golf Club in the UK. Woking Golf Club.
What is links golf?
When most people think of links-style golf, they are picturing golf that can be played along the ground with lots of undulation, plenty of dunes and little to no trees. These courses also usually feature pot bunkers as opposed to the larger sprawling American-style bunkers.
Why are short courses so fun?
Short courses are great because they take up less land (which makes them cheaper and environmentally friendly), are quicker to play and can be playable even for a first-timer.
What are the characteristics of a desert golf course?
Other characteristics with desert golf courses is that it is very hot and the air is very dry. You have to remember that all of the features of a desert are in full display with a desert golf course. Desert features like sand dunes can really play a huge role in desert golf. The sand dunes can take the place of fairway bunkers.
What states have golf in the desert?
Best States to Play Golf in a Desert. The best states to play golf are: New Mexico. Arizona. Southern California. Nevada. There are various other states that have areas of golf that is in the desert, but those states are noticeably the best places to play!
What is the most famous golf course in the desert?
Famous Desert Golf Courses. The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale might be the most famous golf course in the professional golf world. There has been so many iconic moments on the PGA Tour at that golf course and TPC Scottsdale is also an incredible place to plan a golf trip to. Other incredible and well-known desert golf courses are Coral Canyon ...
What is a link golf course?
Links golf courses are usually on a coastline and have rolling terrain with various types of grasses. The most common links-style golf courses are golf courses that are played during the Open Championship in Europe. Links golf is very prevalent in Europe, and desert-style golf is virtually nonexistent because of the climate in Europe.
Where is grass in golf?
The only places where there is grass is the tee box, fairways , and the putting green at most desert golf courses. Any desert course that has grass in the rough is really going above and beyond to do that. In most cases, they will only have rough ground that is very dry where there should be rough. The rough areas off of ...
Where is the best place to play desert golf?
The primary spots for desert golf courses in the world are in the Middle East and in southwest United States. There are other smaller places in the world that might have a course or two, but those are the most well-known spots.
Do golf courses have trees?
These golf courses are in a natural desert setting. That makes them not able to have trees in most cases. The lack of rain makes them not able to have the types of trees that golf courses such as Augusta National. The grass situation is also very unique compared to other types of golf courses.
What crops are in the CAP Canal?
That will shrink the amount flowing through the CAP Canal to farmlands in Pinal County that produce cotton, hay and other crops. In a first-level shortage, the water supplies of Arizona’s cities are protected from cuts under the state’s plan.
Is Arizona a hole in one for golfers?
On National Golf Day several years ago, Ducey's office said in a statement that "Arizona is a hole-in-one for golfers" and that it's "a real boon for our economy.". The membership of the Arizona Alliance for Golf also includes a public entity that manages Phoenix's public courses.

Primary Drainage
- A primary drainage system consists of a series of ‘lateral’ drains installed across the area in question, connecting to a ‘main’ carrier pipe that channels the water collected by the system to an outfall. So far, so simple. The key determining factors in the effectiveness of primary drainage systems are: lateral specification, drainage design, and ...
Lateral Specification
- The conventional specification for lateral drains suggests perforated plastic pipes – usually 60mm or 80mm in diameter. It should however be noted that 60mm pipes are becoming increasingly unpopular, as 80mm pipes offer greater total capacity for the drainage system, and only involve minimally more disruption during the installation process. Water enters the plastic p…
Lateral Spacing
- As a result of the wide range of variable factors involved (soil types, course gradients, pedestrian and machinery tracking routes, rainfall statistics for the location, maintenance regimes, etc.) there is no practical scientific formula to determine the ideal drain spacing for any particular course. However, Hooghoudt’s Drain Spacing Equation shows that any percentage increase (x) in the am…
Secondary Drainage
- In cases where functional, but inadequately spaced primary drainage systems exist, secondary drainage solutions such as sand-banding or ‘earthquaking’ may prove effective in encouraging surface water that moves across the pitch to find its way more efficiently into the primary drains, thereby increasing the rate of drainage. This can lend a new lease of life to an aging draining sys…