by Paul J. Sniadecki, MLSA Board Director
Whether you love golf or not, one has to admit it takes a lot of water to maintain a golf course. The good news is the United States Golf Association (USGA) is investing $30 million in its effort to help water conservation. In April 2023, the USGA announced a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment toward reducing golf’s use of water.
“There’s only going to be more competition for our water resources as population increases,” said Cole Thompson, the USGA’s Director of Turfgrass and Environmental Research. “That’s really what this initiative is, is the USGA committing to hopefully leading the industry toward water resiliency. The problem of water is not going away,” Thompson said. “You’ve got to think about what your water sources are and if they’re being used efficiently.”
The USGA plan is a 15-30-45 initiative, which is 15 years, $30 million to reduce water on a golf course by 45 percent. It appears that if the USGA is successful, golfers will still be enjoying their game, and water conservation advocates should be happy too.