1. Water is the lifeblood of golf courses. The shortage of water resources worldwide and the large amount of water consumption on golf courses have made the water use of golf courses a focus of public and media attention. Water resources are scarce in most parts of my country, especially in the north, which has made the actual water consumption of golf courses and the possible impact of water consumption on the environment a concern for everyone. In addition, water cost is an important part of the operating cost of golf courses, and sometimes it can become the most fatal factor affecting golf courses.Due to the “extensive” and low efficiency of water resource utilization, the waste is astonishing. Saving water and recycling water resources have become a theme of today’s society and a major task related to the survival of golf courses. As a new and special industry in the mainland, the huge water demand of the golf course industry has to attract widespread attention. How to overcome the factors that affect the utilization rate of water resources so that water resources can be recycled efficiently has become an important part of the development of golf. This article mainly uses literature review, case analysis, and expert interviews. Starting from the current status of water resource utilization in golf courses, combined with the actual situation of golf clubs, this article finds out the problems existing in the current utilization of water resources in golf courses and proposes corresponding solutions.
2. Analysis of the basic situation of water resource utilization in China’s golf courses
The water consumption of golf courses is closely related to factors such as the degree of drought (rainfall), soil evaporation, water demand characteristics of lawn grass species, topography, irrigation methods, and management level. In some areas, irrigation is only used to supplement natural rainfall, while in other areas, irrigation is the only source of water during the growing season. The water consumption varies between golf courses in different regions and even in the same region, and in a specific golf course, the water consumption in different areas is also different. Even in the same area ofa golf course, the season with the largest water consumption is summer, and the relatively low seasons are spring, autumn, and winter.
There are many sources of irrigation water for golf courses, including well water, lake water, pond water, reservoir water, stream water, river water, canal water, public drinking water, treated sewage, etc. The most commonly used is well water irrigation. Treated sewage (recycled water) is the development direction of golf course irrigation water sources. Recycled water contains rich nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are the nutrient sources for lawn growth. Therefore, lawn irrigation provides the best place to use recycled water. A complete drainage system and irrigation system are very beneficial to water conservation in golf courses. A complete and efficient drainage system has a significant effect on the collection of irrigation seepage and rainwater, which can improve the utilization efficiency of water resources and achieve the purpose of water conservation. In addition to meeting the needs of landscape, the design of the golf course water body must also have multiple functions such as water storage and irrigation.
3. Factors affecting the utilization rate of golf water resources
3.1 The impact of golf course design on water resource utilization
The average area of a standard golf course is 911 acres, of which 67% is the lawn area that needs to be maintained. Reducing the maintenance area of the golf course can greatly reduce the maintenance and construction costs of the golf course, and at the same time can greatly reduce the consumption of water resources.
3.2 The impact of the weather in the area where the golf course is located on the utilization rate of water resources
The precipitation in the area where a golf course is located has a great relationship with the water resource consumption of the golf course. Golf courses in areas with abundant precipitation often have a lower demand for water resources than those in areas with scarce precipitation, and at the same time, the utilization rate of water resources in areas with abundant precipitation is not as high as that in areas with scarce precipitation.
3.3 Impact of irrigation methods on water resource utilization
Irrigation is an important measure to make up for the lack of natural precipitation in quantity and unevenness in time and space, and to ensure that the water required for lawn growth is adequately met. Therefore, in planning and design, we should first strive to use treated wastewater or surface water as a water source, and avoid directly using groundwater or drinking water provided by the municipal pipe network as sprinkler irrigation water. Obviously, the use of water-saving irrigation methods can greatly improve the utilization rate of water resources.
3.4 Impact of pipeline installation on water resource utilization
The golf drainage system needs to consider the impact of excessive rain on the drainage system at the beginning of the design, so that the pipes connecting the golf lake are unobstructed and the irrigation system has enough water for irrigation. A complete drainage system and irrigation system are very beneficial to water saving on the golf course.
3.5 The influence of reasonable selection of grass species
The utilization rate of water resources is the total water consumption of lawn grass transpiration and evaporation of the surface soil where lawn grass grows. In golf courses, the water demand for lawn growth is the largest part of the golf course water consumption, and the water consumption of lawn is one of the key factors for the survival and development of the lawn industry. The choice of grass species in golf courses can largely determine the water consumption of a golf course. Choosing grass species with low water demand and heat and drought resistance can greatly reduce the water consumption of the golf course.
To sum up, the design of the stadium has a great impact on the utilization rate of water resources. The design of reducing the irrigation area can greatly reduce the water consumption of the stadium; the amount of precipitation in the area where the stadium is located affects the utilization rate of the stadium’s water resources. Strengthening the attitude of employees in areas with abundant precipitation towards water use can improve the utilization rate of water resources; choosing sprinkler irrigation to irrigate the stadium can reduce the waste of water resources and increase the utilization rate of water resources; the selection of drought-resistant grass species can reduce the consumption of water resources in the stadium and make the utilization rate of water resources more sufficient; the quality of the construction of the stadium’s pipeline facilities can have a great impact on the conservation of water resources; local policies and regulations, and the government’s attitude towards water resources have a great impact on the stadium’s attitude towards water resources.
It is suggested to increase the secondary recycling of water resources on the existing basis, increase the investment in water resource recycling, build reservoirs to increase the recycling and filtration of rainwater and secondary water, and rationally exploit groundwater. These measures will enable more choices for golf course water use. For example, the sand washing water of Guangzhou Fengshen Golf Club is directly discharged into the sewer, which has caused serious waste of water resources. According to the survey, 5-8m3 of water is required to wash 1m3 of sand. A golf course needs 10m3 of sand (washed sand) every day, and the required water is about 100m3. In this case, if the sand washing water can be collected, a reservoir can be set up and the water can be precipitated, it can be directly used for irrigation and secondary sand washing. At the same time, filtering the precipitated water can increase the content of minerals and organic matter in the water.
Post time: Sep-24-2024