Full Answer
When should you irrigate your golf course?
Of course, it is also optimal to irrigate when there are not golfers on the course, as most don’t ask for their game with a shower. Your irrigation schedule should be intimately informed by climate and weather. Depending on your climate, and the season you’re in, irrigation timing and method may have to change, possibly on a seasonal basis.
How much water does an irrigated course use each year?
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.
How do golf courses irrigate their turf?
Out of the many kinds of rotary and pop-up heads are used by the Golf Courses to give them a 360-degree turn. This is a chemical that is injected into the irrigation system so it can be spread and absorbed by turf along with the water. You’ll find that most superintendents irrigate the golf course early in the morning before the sun comes up.
How efficient is overhead irrigation on a golf course?
Golf course irrigation systems are normally in the 80% efficiency range, the highest achievable efficiency with overhead irrigation. The general public looks at the large green expanse of a golf course and the amount of water it uses and assumes that the golf course is wasting water.
How long do golf courses water the grass?
Most of us who have been irrigating for decades are used to irrigating based on time: 12 minutes for fairways, nine minutes for greens and so many minutes on the tees, for example. We may irrigate all the greens for the same period of time or only use irrigation on the greens to water something in.
How much water does a golf course use 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 long do irrigation systems typically last on golf courses?
The life expectancy of a typical irrigation system varies from 10 to 30 years, depending on the geographic location of the course and the demands on the system. Good preventive maintenance can extend a system's longevity, but sooner or later, your irrigation will need to be renovated or replaced.
How much water does an average 18-hole golf course use?
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.
How many acre feet of water does a golf course use?
Water use varies significantly by agronomic region. An average 18-hole golf facility in the Southwest region uses an average of 4 acre-feet of water per irrigated acre per year. An average 18-hole golf facility in the Northeast region uses an average of 0.8 acre-feet of water per irrigated acre per year.
How many gallons of water does a golf course use in a year?
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.
How long does an irrigation system last?
20 yearsThe Life Expectancy of an Irrigation System While different parts of your system may need replacing throughout its life, you can expect the average sprinkler system to last for upwards of 20 years. During that time, you'll likely need to replace your sprinkler heads around the 10-year mark if using high-quality heads.
How much is a irrigation system on a golf course?
An irrigation system original cost for an 18 hole golf course can range from $500,000 to $1,000,000. Along with that price tag, you will also have an annual service fee of $50K. An irrigation pump station can range from $200,000 to $400,000 each.
How long does irrigation tubing last?
Under normal circumstances supply tubing can last up to 8 years.
Why do golf courses drink water everyday?
Typically, putting greens are irrigated at night or early in the morning. However, during periods of hot weather or low humidity, turf may need additional water throughout the day because soils can quickly dry out. Light watering during the day helps keep putting greens healthy and playing well.
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.
How much water does golf use and where does it come from?
Golf, he said, consumes less than 1% of all water used in California, but nearly 25% of Coachella Valley water.
Where To Irrigate
Golf clubs must establish quality requirements for their courses. This requires club managers to work with players to create a dynamic course. Course designers use different types of grass across the 18 holes. The overarching goal for the designers is to have the highest quality grass on the greens.
When To Irrigate
In general, determining when to irrigate the golf course is done by observing several things in the field. For example, groundskeepers watch for when drought spots emerge. Additionally, they monitor the root zone to see if the grass dries out. Course managers prevent dry spots through timely and sufficient irrigation.
How Much To Irrigate
Advanced computer simulation models are used to determine the ideal amount of irrigation. Computer simulation models describe all relevant processes that occur in the soil-water-grass system. The models also calculate whether there is still enough moisture present in the soil profile to ensure the quality of the grass.
What Statistics We Need
To be able to advise where, when, and how much irrigation a golf course needs requires a few factors.
How efficient is golf course irrigation?
Golf course irrigation systems are normally in the 80% efficiency range, the highest achievable efficiency with overhead irrigation. The general public looks at the large green expanse of a golf course and the amount of water it uses and assumes that the golf course is wasting water.
How many sprinklers are needed for a golf course?
A golf course can have between 500 and 5,000 sprinklers, or even more installed throughout an 18-hole facility. A golf irrigation sprinkler uses 18–45 gallons per minute throwing 50–90 feet with as many as 100 sprinklers operating at the same time.
What are the inputs needed to maintain a golf course?
Depending on the quality of the golf course, some need more inputs than others. One of the needed inputs to maintain a healthy playing surface is, of course, water.
What is a golf course superintendent?
Golf course superintendents are highly educated individuals. They are not only educated and trained in the operation of the specific irrigation control system installed at their facilities, but also in soils and turf grass.
What is pressure regulated in golf course irrigation?
Each individual sprinkler is pressure-regulated so that the sprinkler receives its intended pressure regardless of elevation change or distance from the water supply. Golf course irrigation sprinklers are the most uniform applicators of water of any sprinkler manufactured.
What percentage of golf course water is effluent?
Effluent: 12%. Many golf courses use a combination of sources, hence the total percentage in the list is over 100%. For example, although water may not be pumped directly from a well into the irrigation system due to the large flow required by the irrigation system, the well is instead used to fill an irrigation pond.
What is the percentage of water used in golf courses?
According to GCSAA, golf course water sources break down as follows: Many golf courses use a combination of sources, hence the total percentage in the list is over 100%.
Why do golf courses use rotary irrigation?
The best time to irrigate a golf course is early morning. Reasons include: bad distribution of winds later in the day. water is lost due to evaporation.
What is the key to a good golf course?
For anyone who plays golf leisurely or for serious competition, it is widely known that one of the keys to a great golf course & great round of golf is proper golf course irrigation.
Why does irrigation need to vary?
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.
What are the factors that affect the water availability of a golf course?
These factors can be climate, type of turf grass, agronomic and soils conditions, regulations, and water av ailability.
What are the best management practices for turf?
Sound cultural practices, often referred to as bestmanagement practices, are needed if a turf is to havegood drought resistance or survive dormancy.Mowing, fertilization, and cultivation (aeration) areimportant cultural practices, in addition to irriga-tion, that affects the health of a turf and its ability tosurvivedrought.
What time of day is the best time to water?
The most efficient time of day to water is late eveningthrough early morning (between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.).Nighttime is generally less windy, cooler and morehumid, resulting in less evaporation and a moreefficient application of water. Water pressure is alsousually better at night resulting in a more uniformapplication of water through sprinklers. Contrary topopular belief, irrigating during this period does notstimulate disease development.
How does core cultivation help with water infiltration?
Core cultivation (aeration) can resolve some waterinfiltration problems by reducing soil compaction,managing thatch, and creating openings in the turfsurface that aid in water infiltration . A reduction insoil bulk density of severely compacted soil willenhance water retention (storage) and encouragedeeper rooting, thus increasing the carrying capacityof the soil.
How much water does an 18 hole golf course use?
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. However, many courses use various methods to water their turfgrass spaces to help limit their need ...
Can grasses tolerate salt water?
However, research has been going on into alternatives that not only need less water but can also handle more salt. Poor quality water often has a higher salt content, which can be bad for the grasses. By increasing their tolerance, water from more sources can be used.
Do grasses need irrigation?
This grass also needs irrigation , but that increases the demand for water. To counteract this, some courses have removed the areas of grass that are not needed and replaced it with cacti can desert-loving plants. These need little irrigation, and they are also a good contrast to the green fairways and greens.
Do golf courses use water?
Many countries have now imposed water restrictions on all of the businesses and farms that use water and limited the amount they can use in a year. Golf courses have a two-fold use for water. The first and greatest use is on the maintained turfgrass.
Do golf courses have water restrictions?
Along with this, they will often have other facilities such as clubhouses, conference facilities, and other areas that may also need to use water. The restrictions placed on golf courses has meant that they have had to implement strategies to monitor and save water where possible.