A state-of-the-art irrigation system will be installed at the Pebble Beach, Calif., property by March, and the renovation’s contractor is using the method of hydro seeding on areas of the course. The Northern California Golf Association-owned property will also abandon 14.5 acres of previously irrigated turf, letting the area return to its native state, and ultimately use 20 percent less water annually.
According to architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., the current renovation of Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif., is being driven primarily by irrigation, the Monterey (Calif.) Herald reported.
“Water was the fundamental issue,” said Jones.
Still in line to be completed in March, the new Poppy Hills will not only feature a state-of-the-art irrigation system that will pinpoint whether parts of the course are getting watered too much or too little, but all playable parts of the course will be sand-capped under the turf. The course is also abandoning 14.5 acres of previously irrigated turf, letting the area return to its native state, the Herald reported.
When completed, the new Poppy Hills, which is owned by the Northern California Golf Association (NCGA), will use 20 percent less water annually, the Herald reported.
In recent weeks, the contractor for the renovation, Frontier Golf, has started hydro seeding (a planting process using pre-combined seed and mulch) areas of the course. Among the holes that are already green and growing are Nos. 3 to 8 on the front, and Nos. 15 to 17 on the back, the Herald reported.
“That is happening right now. It’s on its way,” Jones said. “I have to commend the NCGA and Frontier golf for their efficient and high quality work.”
As for getting the water needed for the seed to grow, Poppy Hills has gotten by with help from its neighbors, the Herald reported.
Due to a dry winter—and less available reclaimed water from the Forest Lake Reservoir in Del Monte Forest, a result of further conservation efforts by the Pebble Beach County and other nearby courses—the renovation began with the potential problem of an inadequate supply of water to germinate any seed, the Herald reported.
On July 1, however, all groups inside the Del Monte Forest came together and agreed to further reduce water consumption. As part of the agreement, those groups recognized that Poppy Hills, due to the renovation, is a special case. The result was Poppy Hills getting to use some of the water previously allocated to those other groups for what is the current germination and establishment of seed on the new course, the Herald reported.
“Everybody in the Pebble Beach area has been acting in a neighborly and cooperative manner,” Jones said. “I think it’s a major project for the right reasons.”
By condition of the permit to renovate, all reconstruction of the course must be completed and the course seeded by October 15. Should the course enter winter without some sort of turf growing, there would be a high potential for erosion to occur, the Herald reported.
“We recommended sodding some of the vulnerable slopes around the greens. The NCGA opted to hydro seed. Both are valid techniques,” Jones said. “We were concerned about the potential for erosion and they were concerned with germination. So far, their decision has proved correct.”
In managing water issues, Poppy Hills is hardly alone. Because of the dry winter and rising costs, other local venues have been adjusting. Over at Pacific Grove (Calif.) Golf Links, one of the options could potentially be a per-round surcharge at some point to help pay for rising costs. It’s estimated that Pacific Grove used one million fewer gallons of water in 2012, but paid 60 percent more in costs, the Herald reported.
“The thing was the cost of water was so high last year that we had to cut back on water usage this April and May,” Pacific Grove Golf Links head pro Joe Riekena said. “The result was parts of the course browning the last few months, but it’s since returned to very good condition.”
The city is planning to rebuild its water treatment plant, Riekena said, which would help alleviate a high percentage of water costs, the Herald reported.
Bob Costa, former President of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Northern California and water management consultant, said the challenge facing the golf course industry relative to water comes down to two things: availability and cost, the Herald reported.
“When you have an industry that is struggling economically, and you have operating expenses, such as water, that increase annually, it can significantly impact the bottom line,” Costa said. “One thing golf operators can be certain of is that the future cost of water and the energy required to deliver it is going to steadily increase. As a result, it’s important that golf course managers and the community recognize the need to be as efficient as possible with respect to irrigating both golf courses and outdoor landscapes.”
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