Sometimes perception is reality, and as this story points out, “sentiment towards golf, especially in relation to water was overwhelmingly negative.” In Arizona, this likely led to the publishing of “a feature full of factual inaccuracies” in both the largest local news and as well as a national publication. As the article mentions, that’s when the AAG pushed back with hard data: golf in Arizona only uses 2% of the state’s water with much of that recaptured. The $6 billion economic impact of golf in Arizona includes 66,000 jobs, $2.3 billion in wages and $520 million in tax revenue.
Adding context, the story discusses golf’s favorable comparison against other industries in terms of environmental stewardship and sustainability before moving on to seven solutions for golf’s long-term sustainability.
New Mexico State University’s Bernd Leinaur talked about the efficiency of modern irrigation systems. Devin Cullen at Torrey Pines discussed leveraging technology for targeted irrigation. Cape Cod National Golf Club showed how using native landscaping can reduce resource needs. Spain’s Arabella Golf uses recycled water across its three golf courses. And other innovations include on-site water harvesting, switching to drought tolerant grasses and education through resources like the USGA’s Water Conservation Playbook.
