Water Resources

The availability of quality drinking water is the single largest global environmental issue. The golf course operation should not impact negatively on the quality or quantity of water that flows through and out from the course. Many golf courses use too much water.  This is not only environmentally irresponsible, but it is also costly and will lead to the production of soft surfaces, which reduce playing performance.

To ensure that you are operating as a responsible user of water, there are a number of practical measures which you can take:

• adhere to the philosophy of drier, firmer and healthier turf
• prioritise areas to receive water, such as greens
• have the latest irrigation technology to ensure efficient and effective application of water
• incorporate hand watering into your irrigation programme
• utilise appropriate aeration and wetting agent programmes to ensure that water applied actually penetrates into the soil
• investigate alternative sources to the drinking water supply. Water harvesting, recycling and de-salination are possibilities.  There are, however, sustainability implications from the use of all these sources, which might include the need for additional infrastructure, the impact of potential contaminants on turf and soil, energy requirements and the management of waste products
• ensure that abstraction is not threatening supplies or the local environment
• avoid applying water to habitats that will be adversely affected by irrigation
• be aware of and complying with relevant legislation
• provide adequate training for staff in the efficient and effective use of water
• regularly monitor soil profiles to irrigated areas with a moisture meter to ensure effective watering is achieved.

Keeping accurate records will ensure you are accountable for your water use, while also enabling you to assess the costs of irrigation practices.

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Reverse osmosis treats saline water but is costly to install and operate.

Water treatment works can produce water of good enough quality for irrigation.

By simply limiting the areas you irrigate, you will be able to reduce your water consumption considerably.