Ty Butler, ASGCA

Ty Butler, ASGCA shares his thoughts on the efficient use and maintenance of water on a golf course. Ty first joined ASGCA in 2003, and he currently practices with Robert Trent Jones II serving as head of the firm’s USA East Office headquartered in North Carolina. At the 2009 Golf Industry Show in New Orleans, Ty took a lead role in designing the Water Use and Maintenance Project.

Getting started with the Water Use and Maintenance Project…

Early last year, I was approached about spearheading the 2009 Water Use and Maintenance Project for the 2009 Golf Industry Show in New Orleans. The Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA), the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and the Irrigation Association (IA) worked together on this year’s design. When I first discussed the parameters of the project representatives of the Builders and Superintendents, they had a basic idea of where they wanted to go with the project incorporating the themes of water use, quality and drainage. As the name of the project explains, the goal was to educate attendees of the Golf Industry Show on how water can efficiently be used and managed on golf courses.

Construction of the exhibit…

The 2009 Water Use and Maintenance Project

Drew Rogers, ASGCA helped with the initial planning and design. Together we figured out what information should be presented, what the exhibit should look like and how it could be constructed. The hardest part of the project was making the physical replica of a golf hole. Originally, I had intended for visitors to be able to walk on the structure so they could examine the different aspects of the layout. However as we continued to fine tune the concept, it became clear that idea wasn’t going to work as the structure could have been easily damaged. As a compromise, we decided to put a bridge in the middle of the exhibit, which allowed attendees a bird’s eye view the design. The final result included a drainage system, a cross section of a fairway, a green and the construction of ponds with waterfalls.

About water use and management…

Hole 13 – Sunday River Golf Club

I hope viewers of the exhibit took away a couple of important points, as there are many things that can be done to plan for efficient water use on a golf course. For example, planting native grasses on a course makes for less watering, reduces maintenance costs and helps curb the effects of erosion. Courses can also take advantage of aquatic plants within their ponds. The right plants are able to reduce sediments in the lake, helping better the water quality and keep the water clean.

Golf course builders and superintendents can also make use of technology to help them avoid overwatering a course. Soil moisture sensors can help determine if there is enough moisture or air space in the soil for turf grass roots. Finding the perfect balance between moisture and air space allows for the most efficient use of water. In addition, monitoring soil moisture can ensure consistency in playing conditions from one golf green to another.

Various maintenance techniques can also be very effective. For example, using lake liners helps eliminate water seepage from a pond and therefore prevent erosion. Even collecting water for future use via subsurface drainage measures is an effective water maintenance technique.

The story through numbers…

Hole 2 – Rock Barn Golf and Spa

I believe golf is on the right track in their efforts to efficiently preserve and maintain their environments and natural resources. Golf’s 1.2 million acres irrigated turf grass accounts for only 1.9 percent of total water use. Each day golf courses in the U.S. use 2.1 billion gallons of water, but this accounts for only half of a percent of the total water use in the U.S. And 12% of golf course facilities in the U.S. are already using recycled water for irrigation purposes.

Beyond the US….

While water remains a hot-button issue for golf courses in the US, the subject is relevant outside our national borders as well. At Robert Trent Jones II, I work with many of our overseas clients in the Caribbean, South America and Europe. We are fortunate to have a couple of projects in the works right now, including a golf community in Rome set to open in the summer of 2010 and a renovation of two courses at Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico. As a steward of the global environment, is important for us all to take into account the planning and practice of efficient water use on all of the world’s golf courses.

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