A study released in December 2025 by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America confirmed that golf courses are increasingly using less water for irrigation. Overall, golf courses across the United States used 31% less water in 2024 compared to 2005, and from 2020 to 2024, golf course operators in the Southwest region (Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas), posted a 16.9% reduction in water use, the highest number among the seven regions in the study.
Best management practices primarily account for the steady efficiencies, with two-thirds of the reductions achieved through the use of wetting agents, hand-held moisture sensers, hand watering, and other technological upgrades associated with modern irrigation systems and practices.
Click on the button below to get a complete picture of data and conclusions of this comprehensive study.
