Is Brown the New Green?

Over the past few years we have made a committed effort to keeping the golf course as dry as we can, while still maintaining healthy turf.  During this same time, the USGA along with other golf associations have been pushing for more sustainable practices, with water conservation at the top of the list.  For our situation, the financial savings alone is enough to force our hand into conservation mode.  With water rates increasing over 50% since '09, the potential savings are significant.

Every golfer enjoys "firm and fast" conditions, unfortunately moving away from the green and lush conditions is not as easy to communicate.  Without any significant rain over the last few weeks, the golf course has transitioned to more brown areas showing up in fairways.  As you can see from the pictures below, it may not be pretty, but this is exactly what we are looking for.

Walking the fine line of conserving our inputs, such as water, fertilizer, and pesticides is not as easy as it may seem.  Technology advancements such as moisture sensors have proven to be invaluable for gauging water requirements.  Ultimately, it comes down to our team closely monitoring conditions around the clock during stressful periods.

I don't think we're quite ready to say "brown is the new green", but it's safe to say a little brown is a good sign that we are managing our resources wisely.

Below is a link to an article from 2010 in the Wall Street Journal.

 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704370704575228253377487596.html