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THE WATER CHALLENGE
VGA Golf Victoria Magazine – August 2005

Continuing our series on the issues facing Victorian golf clubs, we look at the environmental challenges raised in the Ernst & Young report and the VGA Water Survey.

Next time you are playing your favorite hole on your favorite course, take a moment to stop and look around the environment. Chances are you’ll notice blue skies, green grass, perhaps an aqua lake and a myriad of colorful birds, plants, trees and flowers.
How ironic that when we discuss the environment in a political sense, things are often seen only in black and white.
Golf courses are regarded as either good or bad for the environment, usually depending on whether you are a golfer.
Those who delight in the game may find it laughable that others suggest golf as a potential environmental vandal but, like it or not, that’s the charge that has been levelled by passionate greenies and even some government regulators.
The Ernst & Young report goes a long way to put golf’s contribution to the environment into perspective, while the VGA’s Water Survey has laid the groundwork for reform and has confronted some of the issues raised in the State Government White Paper on future water use.
John Hobday, Chairman of the VGA Planning and Development Committee, said golf clubs have already been responsible and innovative over past decades in developing cost-effective, environmentally friendly solutions. “The message and the challenge is that they now must become even smarter,” he said.
“In order to protect itself from adverse impact as a result of the policy changes outlined in the White Paper, golf needs to change but it also needs some informed and sensible protection.”
The Ernst and Young Report drew on research by the Society of Australian Golf Course Architects and listed all the reasons why golf was good for the environment. These included:

• Providing wildlife sanctuaries
• Preserving open space and remnant vegetation in urban environments
• Protecting topsoil from degradation
• Rehabilitating degraded landscapes
• Promoting indigenous flora and fauna
• Improving air quality and moderating temperature
• Utilising water resources such as sewerage, stormwater and urban run-off
• Beautifying the environment and proving community education on environmental issues

How then could golf be seen as a “vandal”? Well, as committees and course superintendents took advantage of scientific and technological developments through most of last century they laid themselves open to charges of using excessive amounts of water and chemicals. Mistakes were made naively … it was a case of what we didn’t know, did hurt us.

While far greater care is taken these days, golf’s reputation, in the minds of many, was set.

The combination of greater environmental awareness and the current Victorian drought, which began in 1997, has led to some significant hurdles for golf clubs to overcome.

As difficult as some of the membership and land issues are for golf clubs in the 21st Century, it’s the cost and availability of water which is going to be the game’s greatest challenge.

According to the VGA Water Survey Report, the average golf course with 18 holes and grass greens occupies 59 hectares of land and irrigates an average of 21.5 hectares. Metropolitan and very large country clubs have a larger proportion of their total site under irrigation while many of the sand green clubs have no land under irrigation.

Methods of irrigation vary between rivers, dams, bores, potable water, stormwater and recycled water but the average cost of purchase and application of irrigation water for metropolitan and large country clubs is $60,000 to $76,000 per annum.

In addition, large amounts of capital are invested in infrastructure for distributing, storing or transporting water. The average metropolitan club has a reticulation system costing $713,157 with an estimated system replacement cost of $929,630.

The water survey was answered by 230 clubs, an overall 70 per cent response rate, with metropolitan clubs responding at a rate of 93 per cent. The survey found that most clubs have well aware of the challenges and have been pro-active in seeking to alleviate their vulnerability to water scarcity and rising costs.

Action taken by clubs to achieve a sustainable water future includes:
• Liaison with water authorities – up to 80 per cent of metropolitan and very large country clubs have had direct contact with their designated water authority to seek advice and assurances about future water supply or to discuss or arrange access to recycled water. If your club is not one of those, why not?
• Research and planning – The water survey report and the Ernst & Young report are strong on the need to create a water and environment plan.
• Turf Grass amendment – Legend and Santa Ana couch grass species have been identified as the best performing types for Victorian conditions under low water input regimes. The Ernst & Young report provides examples of successful turf replacement, including Yarra Bend, Medway, Kialla and Mortlake.
• Improved Water Efficiency – Most clubs have improved watering efficiency by switching to night time watering or other low evaporation timing.
• Reductions in irrigated area – Many clubs have reduced the area of their course under irrigation. Although this may be a temporary response due to the extended drought, the Government White Paper directions may mean the removal of irrigation from non-essential areas can be expected to increase as a permanent measure.

The Ernst & Young report also covers other environmental issues such as health and safety and noise pollution and its main conclusion is that all golf clubs should consider as an important priority the preparation of an environment management plan (EMP).

More specifically, the water survey report reveals less than one third of metropolitan clubs and less than a fifth of very large country based clubs have a documented water use plan.

The VGA has committed funds for the preparation of a generic Golf Water Planning Template to assist clubs to adopt formal planning and following a submission to the Urban Stormwater and Conservation Fund, it has been awarded a grant to extend its Golf Water Planning Template project and to conduct a series of workshops with clubs.

VGA chief executive Doug Fox believes clubs have an obligation to their members to treat water planning with the highest priority.

“The message from the Victorian Government White Paper is loud and clear,” he said. “Most users of water will need to make adjustments to the amounts and sources of water they consume and the methods employed for water management.

“Being a non-essential activity, golf can be under no illusion as to where it ranks when it comes to deciding who and what will miss out when water scarcity occurs.”

Fox said golf may be able to survive in a water-constrained future but unless it embraces the new reality it will not be able to thrive.

“If the choice is between becoming a disgruntled survivor or an innovative thriver, then clubs have no choice to make,” he said.

“The mission statement of the VGA is ‘More and better golf for more Victorians’. The Association acknowledges that to achieve its mission going forward it must accept the challenge of ‘more and better golf with sustainable water’.”

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