Water Use at Golf Courses in Florida The USGS reported that 281 mgd of freshwater was used for recreational purposes in 1995 in Florida (70% ground water, 30% surface water). Irrigation of all golf courses in Florida accounted for about 187 mgd of this freshwater use (about 67% of total recreational water use).
How much water do golf courses use?
Approximately 14 percent of golf facilities use water from a public municipal source and approximately 12 percent use recycled water as a source for irrigation. Specific water sources for 18-hole courses as indicated by participants are noted below: 52 percent use water from ponds or lakes.
How much water does Florida use per day?
Florida’s estimated gross statewide public-supply per capita water use for 2005 was 158 gal/d (gallons per day) while Florida’s statewide domestic (residential) per capita water use for 2005 was 95 gal/d. The statewide gross public-supply per capita for 2000 was 174 gal/d while the domestic per capita was 106 gal/d (Marella, 2004).
Should you use recycled water on your golf course?
According to the United States Golf Association, in 2014, 13% of U.S. golf courses were irrigating with recycled water. In Orange County, for example, as many as 60% of golf courses incorporated water reuse. Using recycled water is not only better for the environment, but it’s also cheaper than using potable water.
How much water does Florida use for industrial mining?
Water withdrawals for commercial-industrial-mining self-supplied uses in Florida in 2005 totaled 488 Mgal/d. Ground water supplied 366 Mgal/d (75 percent) and surface water supplied 122 Mgal/d (25 percent). Public-supply water systems delivered an additional 591 Mgal/d to commercial (504 Mgal/d) and industrial (87 Mgal/d) users in 2005.
What percentage of water is used for golf courses?
Golf, he said, consumes less than 1% of all water used in California, but nearly 25% of Coachella Valley water.
How much water is used on golf courses each year?
In 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 many acre feet of water does a 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.
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 much water does a golf course use per 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.
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.
How much water do Arizona golf courses use?
The records show 219 golf courses across Arizona used a total of 119,478 acre-feet of water in 2019. The average amount of water used per course was 504 acre-feet during the year, or about 450,000 gallons a day.
How much water do Palm Springs golf courses use?
about 1 million gallons a dayThe water district says that on average, each course uses about 1 million gallons a day.
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 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.
How do golf courses get water?
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 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 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 ...
Why is there more demand for water?
As well as trying to reduce pollution, rising temperatures have seen more demand on water supplies that has to be managed to ensure there is always fresh water available. Over the past few years, more countries have had to impose water restrictions and spend more money on their infrastructure to ensure no water is lost.
What is a wetting agent?
Wetting Agents. Wetting agents are used by many courses to help the irrigation process. The agent is sent along the pipes with the water to lower the surface tension. This allows the water to pass easily through the soil and spread further.
How is water extracted from a shaft?
A shaft is dug down to the water source , and then the water is extracted for irrigation. As with ground-level water, the levels can fluctuate through the year and can also be used by municipal water companies as well.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How much water does a golf course use?
Golf courses use a great deal of water for irrigation and other purposes. 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.
What is golf course water reuse?
Golf Course Water Reuse. Water reuse is a great option for golf course irrigation. According to the United States Golf Association, in 2014, 13% of U.S. golf courses were irrigating with recycled water. In Orange County, for example, as many as 60% of golf courses incorporated water reuse.
How to keep water free of algae and odor?
One of the best ways to keep water free of the algae and odor is having a robust aeration system. Active aeration improves water quality and helps prevent fish kills by degrading organic waste, reducing algae, and slowing accumulation of sediment. It also reduces odors and helps control mosquito populations.
Is recycled water better for the environment?
In Orange County, for example, as many as 60% of golf courses incorporated water reuse. Using recycled water is not only better for the environment, but it’s also cheaper than using potable water. However, water reuse can come with its own challenges. For one, many sources of wastewater are excessively saline and contain other contaminants, ...
Is waste water saline?
Wastewater is less saline than seawater, considerably lowering the cost of desalination. Fluence manufactures efficient NIROBOX ™ modular desalination units that are ideal for golf courses and compact enough to hide easily.
Is golf a sustainable community?
In a 2020 article, The New York Times published recommendations for finding a sustainable golf community , advising home-seekers to consider among other factors, how much and when a golf community uses water and whether it uses recycled wastewater to irrigate.
Do golf courses have to use domestic water?
If the golf course is associated with a golf community or resort, domestic water use must also be taken into account. Golf course managers also have to maintain water features like ponds and water hazards, which are highly vulnerable to eutrophication and associated odors, algae, and toxicity.
Total Water Use by Source—2005
Total Water Use by Category—2005
- Water withdrawal data in Florida are collected or estimated for each of the following water-use categories: public supply, domestic self-supplied, commercial-industrial-mining self-supplied, agricultural irrigation, recreational irrigation, and power generation. Information was not collected for instream (nonwithdrawal) water use such as hydroelectric power generation, navigation, wat…
Public-Supply Water Use
- The public-supply category refers to water withdrawn for public use and distributed by a publicly- or privately-owned community water system. 1. Water withdrawals for public supply in Florida in 2005 totaled 2,541 Mgal/d. Ground water supplied 2,201 Mgal/d (87 percent) and surface water supplied nearly 340 Mgal/d (13 percent). 2. Nearly 16.1 million people (90 percent) of the State’…
Domestic Self-Supplied Water Use
- The domestic self-supplied category includes ground water withdrawn in Florida by individual domestic or private wells for the purpose of providing drinking water. 1. Ground-water withdrawals for the domestic self-supplied use category in 2005 totaled 185 Mgal/d. About 1.8 million people (10 percent) of the State’s residents obtained their drinking water from an estimat…
Commercial-Industrial-Mining Self-Supplied Water Use
- The commercial-industrial-mining self-supplied category is water withdrawn at commercial, industrial, and mining facilities in Florida. 1. Water withdrawals for commercial-industrial-mining self-supplied uses in Florida in 2005 totaled 488 Mgal/d. Ground water supplied 366 Mgal/d (75 percent) and surface water supplied 122 Mgal/d (25 percent). Public-supply water systems deliv…
Agricultural Irrigation Water Use
- The agricultural irrigation category consists of freshwater withdrawn for the irrigation of crops, aquaculture and livestock operations, and all other nonirrigation uses associated with farming. 1. Water withdrawals for agricultural irrigation totaled 2,766 Mgal/d in 2005. Surface water supplied 1,465 Mgal/d (53 percent) and ground water supplied 1,301 Mgal/d (47 percent). 2. Agricultural i…
Power Generation Water Use
- The power generation category includes water withdrawn in Florida at thermoelectric power generation facilities for cooling, boiler make-up, and domestic purposes. 1. Nearly 12,042 Mgal/d of water was withdrawn for power generation purposes in 2005. Saline water was the source of 11,484 Mgal/d (95 percent) and freshwater was the source of 558 Mgal/d (5 percent) of the wat…
Water Management Districts
- The Florida Water Resource Act of 1972 established authority for management of the State’s water resources through five water management districts that operate under the general supervision of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. These five water management districts are the Northwest Florida (NWFWMD), the St. Johns River (SJRWMD), the South Florid…
Water Consumption and Discharges
- An estimated 3,110 Mgal/d (45 percent) of the freshwater withdrawn in Florida in 2005 was consumed (evaporated, transpired, incorporated into products or crops, or removed from the immediate water environment). The remaining 3,758 Mgal/d (55 percent) was returned to the hydrologic system as wastewater or runoff. Less than 1 percent of the saline water was consum…
Where Is The Water used?
Cost and Amount of Water Used
- Water is one of the biggest costs to golf courses, and this is another reason why many have tried to save as much water as possible. 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 betwee...
Types of Water Used
- To help maintain the turfgrass, courses use a number of different sources for their water needs. These include:
How Can Golf Courses Save Water?
- Water conservation is always high on the agenda for golf courses, and there has been a lot of research on how they can effectively use less water. Here are a few of the ways that courses try to use less water.
Conclusion
- Golf is one of the most popular outdoor sports for professional and amateur players. This means golf courses will always need to be at the top of their game to ensure that their clubs are ready to meet the demands of players and water conservation. Head here for our range of golf course irrigation systems.