According to an analysis by the Desert Sun, golf courses in the region fell short of statewide efforts to reduce water use by 25%. Montecito Country Club in Santa Barbara, Calif., is addressing the water concerns by renovating the golf course using low-water grass, an updated irrigation system, native trees and improved drainage in a project expected to be complete by the end of 2017.
Study: Golf Impacts Coachella Valley Economy by $1.1 Billion
An economic study commissioned by the Hi-Lo Desert Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America found that golf courses in the Southern California desert valley generated $476 million in gross revenues in 2014, while indirect and induced revenue bumped the impact number to $1.1 billion.
California Golf Properties Paint Greens Amid Drought
Painted grass is gaining interest among golf course properties in the Coachella Valley as a way to save water by allowing grass to go dormant and discontinue irrigation, but still maintain a lush look.
Water-Use Paradox for Palm Springs-Area Courses Highlighted
The more than 120 golf courses in Southern California’s Coachella Valley have a rare luxury because of a huge underground aquifer that makes water cheap and plentiful, while other properties in the state must deal with a devastating drought. Superintendents still want to develop long-term conservation strategies, but pressure from residents, and in some case legal requirements, are forcing them to keep properties lush.
Coachella Valley Task Force Targets Golf Water Conservation
A group of golf course managers and water district officials have formed the Coachella Valley Golf Industry Water Conservation Task Force, to focus on reducing the water footprint of the Southern California area’s 124 golf courses. In Poway, Calif., city council approved a conditional use permit to allow Maderas Golf Club to start pumping ground water from its wells after being forced to stop in 2011.