In his nine years as director of golf course maintenance at Golf Summerlin, Brian Bagwell has become a wizard of water efficiency, a guru of Bermuda grass, a zealot for xeriscape landscaping and an expert in space-age irrigation.
Bagwell is an unsung hero in the turf wars that are reshaping the terrain and complexion of golf courses across the Southwest as the worst drought on record persists with no relief in sight.
Since 2002, when the Southern Nevada Water Authority introduced a drought-response plan that limits annual golf course water budgets, golf course owners, operators and superintendents have learned to make do with less — less water, less grass, less landscaping and fewer frills.
Golf Summerlin comprises three public courses in Sun City Summerlin: Highland Falls, Palm Valley and Eagle Crest. Sun City has been proactive in its water-conservation efforts, Bagwell said.
For instance, the standard golf course maintenance practice of overseeding, in which grass seed is spread on top of existing grass either to promote new growth or to switch out seasonal turfs, has been tweaked to save water. Sun City also uses rugged, drought-tolerant, warm-season Bermuda grass, which requires less water than traditional cool-season ryegrass, a move mirrored by several courses in the valley.
“Sun City, in the early years, overseeded the entire golf course, but in the early 2000s, management decided to seed only the areas that are in play,” Bagwell said. “So initially, any grass that was considered to be rough was left dormant and not seeded. In 2006, the rough had many bare areas, meaning dirt spots in many locations. A year or two later, we had good coverage, with minimal (bare) areas, and took Bermuda grass from the edges and moved it to the middle and in-play areas. We then decided to not overseed the par-3 fairways; the reason being they are short holes, and the golfer should be able to land on the green on his or her first shot — or at least be close.”
Xeriscape is another buzzword among golf course operators in the Southwest, and Golf Summerlin is no exception. It converted 75 acres of turf to water-conserving desert landscape, with an additional 6 acres slated to be removed starting in November, Bagwell said.
That acreage is just the tip of the iceberg valleywide, says Patrick Watson, conservation services administrator at the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which manages local water resources for residential and business consumers.
“Since 2003, local golf courses have removed about 900 acres of turf, which is roughly equivalent to nine golf courses’ worth,” Watson said. “Southern Nevada golf courses have done a great job with water efficiency and were leaders in the community in taking out turf. ... With water being such a big-ticket item for golf courses, next to staff and personnel, removing turf not only saves money spent on water but also reduces the amount of money spent on maintenance and expenses such as fertilizer costs.”
Since 2003, the combined conservation efforts of Southern Nevada golf courses have saved about 2 billion gallons of water a year, Watson said.
“Nevada has some of the best water managers in the country, and golf courses have all jumped on board to lead the nation” in water conservation, he said.
Harry Turner, regional vice president of Pacific Links, which owns Southern Highlands Golf Club, South Shore Golf Club and DragonRidge Country Club, said his organization works hard to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to saving water, both for environmental reasons and bottom-line concerns.
“We all want to be good stewards of our environment and of our communities, but water is one of the largest expenses at a golf course, so we want to manage that resource very judiciously,” said Turner, who has worked in the golf business for 35 years.
Irrigation has gone high-tech, Turner said, with the golf course industry at the forefront of advancements in sprinkler technology.
Newer irrigation systems allow superintendents to control a single sprinkler head at a time, while sensors in the ground collect and analyze data related to moisture in the soil, which allows for tailored watering. The systems can be controlled through a smartphone or tablet, which allows for remote access, and problems that used to take hours to identify and resolve — say a faulty sprinkler head — now can be diagnosed and repaired in minutes.
“We continue to upgrade our irrigation computer systems in an effort to put exactly the proper amount of water in exactly the proper place,” Turner said. “From a chemical standpoint, we’re also using more wetting agents, which help keep moisture on the plants longer. It’s almost like it makes water wetter.”
The use of reclaimed water — wastewater that has been recycled and treated — also is common for golf course irrigation, including at Royal Links Golf Club.
“We use all effluent water, pumped from right next door at a local water district facility,” said Charles Bombard, Royal Links’ general manager. “We run a state-of-the-art irrigation system based on plant need and environmental conditions, and our golf course is 100 percent Bermuda grass.”
Jeff Jensen, Southwest field representative for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, said the industry invests lots of money and backs scientific research to help advance irrigation practices, water management, safety and the use of chemicals and pesticides.
“As for turf, we’re always looking for different hybrids and alternatives: How can we develop the perfect grass that takes very little water, stays green all year and can handle intense heat?” said Jensen, adding that continuing education among golf course superintendents and maintenance personnel is crucial.
How does Nevada compare with other Western states when it comes to weathering the drought?
“Arizona has done a pretty good job, and we’re faring better than California, but it has been an adjustment for everyone,” Jensen said. “Our industry has been fortunate because local government recognized our problems 25 years ago and put policies in place to prepare us. As a result, we’ve been more efficient as a golf community.”