Bruce Charlton, ASGCA

Those of you who have met me, or even just heard me talk casually, are well aware of where I stand on the issue of water, specifically as it relates to golf courses. Water is the bloodstream of any golf course. And as ASGCA’s President, one of my prime objectives is to establish ASGCA as leaders in the conservation and efficient use of water in and around today’s courses.

It’s crucial that various media outlets, permitting and jurisdictional agencies, environmentalists and the general public see golf courses as responsible stewards of water in any given ecosystem. ASGCA Member golf course architects have accomplished some amazing things in recent years. In terms of environmentally-sound designs and maintenance processes, the industry is light-years ahead of where we were just a few short decades ago. There are several examples in An Environmental Approach to Golf Course Development by ASGCA’s Environmental Committee Chairman Bill Love that showcase responsible golf course development and renovation projects that conserve water resources and in some cases rehabilitate faltering water habitats.

Three Crowns Golf Club, Casper, Wyoming

One exciting trend is the increased usage of recycled water as an irrigation source for many new layouts and remodels.  Recent strides in technology, combined with our members’ ingenuity, have steered golf course design, construction and ongoing maintenance towards the intelligent usage of water — both to keep playing conditions optimal and remain environmentally sound.

I began subscribing to a theory named “firm and fast” several years back. It’s a style of golf that is common place across the pond in the game’s United Kingdom birthplace. “Firm and Fast” courses take the game back to its historic roots and offer unique playing conditions that prove fun and wonderfully challenging. But perhaps even more so, it helps today’s courses conserve water and save on long term irrigation costs – a feat not lost on our club managers and superintendents.

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