An agronomist who’s seen it all offers advice to help get the most out of every renovation and interseeding project Tee-2-Green agronomist and golf course consultant Lew Sharp talks with the maintenance crew at Evansville (Ind.) Country Club as they review greens conditions. Photos courtesy of Tee-2-Green Editor’s note: The following article was created in partnership […]
The 18th hole of The Plantation Course at Kapalua as seen during this year’s Sentry event in January 2025. The PGA Tour’s season-opener won’t be played at Kapalua in 2026 as the resort’s golf courses are recovering from a lack of water and drought conditions. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images) PGA TOUR […]
The California Farm Water Crisis
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The California farm water crisis is a multifaceted problem driven by climate change, reduced rainfall, and a high demand for water that exceeds supply. This has led to significant consequences, including the fallowing of hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, substantial economic losses for farmers, job cuts, and reduced consumer access to fresh produce. Farmers […]
In the heart of California’s Central Valley, generations of farm families are facing a new kind of crisis: what farmers argue is a man-made drought. It’s mounting water regulations that could determine whether the most fertile farmland in the nation survives. On Hansen Ranch in the Central Valley, fifth-generation farmer Erik Hansen grows a little […]
Water restrictions in the West are becoming commonplace as the megadrought intensifies and reservoir levels continue to recede — including in recreational facilities that require ample amounts of irrigation. In Southern California, golf courses are altering the way they tend to the green in the wake of new state mandates and forecasts that climate change […]
The Plantation course at Kapalua is looking worse for wear as a result of water restrictions. A RENOWNED PGA Tour golf course has been rendered barren after water restrictions made proper upkeep impossible. The Kapalua Plantation golf course on the Hawaiian island of Maui has hosted the PGA Tour‘s opening event annually since 1999. It was previously known […]
Yes—due to water shortages, California tightly regulates the amount of water that golf courses and other recreational facilities can use. Even so, golf courses are among the top consumers of water in California, with one 18-hole course capable of using 90 million gallons or more each year. Homes and businesses use only a fraction of […]
How water restrictions can affect courses Grass starts changing color Let’s start with the obvious one: grass needs water to stay green. Anyone who’s ever had a lawn can tell you what happens when you forget to water it. That said, while even the most picturesque of California courses may not stay in pristine condition […]
Drought Effects on Farm Lands
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Drought can reduce both water availability and water quality necessary for productive farms, ranches, and grazing lands, resulting in significant negative direct and indirect economic impacts to the agricultural sector. Drought can also contribute to insect outbreaks, increases in wildfire and altered rates of carbon, nutrient, and water cycling—all of which can impact agricultural production, […]
Drought Effects on Golf Courses
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Golf courses across the United States face the risk of droughts and the problems that can come with them. Even courses that normally receive sufficient rainfall can experience serious damage from a few weeks of hot, dry weather – especially if they don’t have an adequate water supply or good irrigation coverage. With droughts becoming […]