Bowing to expectations for golfers, many courses bring more water to the turf than they need.
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USGA helps write golf rules. But this is not the only publication worth noting.
On Thursday, the governing body released another in-depth book, although it could not make The New York Times bestseller List, a must read for anyone who cares about the future of the game.
Its title is “Water Saving Script”, which is the dry title of a dry scientific detail work.
“Golf is currently in an era of huge growth, but the threat of water and costs, coupled with changing weather patterns, poses a long-term threat to our competitive environment,” USGA CEO Mike Whan said in a statement. “We want to keep the best intelligence in the hands of those who make decisions and conduct courses every day and promote innovative and more sustainable games.”
Water is hardly a new topic for USGA. Since the birth of the Green Zone in 1920, the governing bodies have invested more than $40 million in turf-related research, most of which are designed to reduce water use. These efforts have led to everything from drought-tolerant grass to irrigation technology and technology. In the USGA Sustainability initiative, a campaign called 15/30/45, it has committed $30 million over the next 15 years to help the course reduce its water use by 45%.
“Water Saving Script” is a key component of the event.
It is a digital publication that combines over a century of green portions of expertise with discoveries from top universities and insights from administrators, architects and golf music maintenance staff to distil vast amounts of information into a blueprint for action.
Although these programs are science-driven, they also involve gaming culture and how to communicate best with the people who play the game. After all, keeping a golf course is more than just managing the turf. It also involves managing golfer expectations, which is often inconsistent with effective water use.
Many golfers are eager to see their courses retain Augusta National Green for a variety of reasons. Of course, green is the natural health of many grasses. There is no certain bad. But green may not necessarily be better. This is a crucial point and has had a profound impact on the industry. In their quest to please the market, many courses end up irrigating more than the turf requires. They prioritize effective water use costs.
This is not only in the form of economic and environmental costs. This can also damage course conditions – ironically, it is often possible to achieve healthier turf and better surfaces by watering Fewer.
However, doing so requires buying from golfers.
“There are a lot of misunderstandings out there – playing on a lush golf course is better, or Brown is the new green, and using less water will ruin the game experience,” said USGA Green managing director Matt Pringle. “But none of these are true.”
Eliminating these myths depends to some extent on effective messaging, and the “water-saving script” also involves course guidance on how to communicate with golfers before, during and after factors that may affect their experience, from drought to maintenance projects designed to preserve water for a long time.
Because not all properties are equal – budgets, climate, grass type and customer base vary, the “Pringle Notes” is “not “all sizes fit all methods” – every golf course can use strategies.”
It lists guidelines that require the industry to continue to adapt to future challenges. In this way, golfers should expect to do so.
You can download water-saving script here.
