Our golf course is irrigated daily with water that is pulled out of the ground by three wells. Some wells fill our storage ponds faster than others. Our most productive well on Hole 5 stopped working in late August that has made us conserve water until it is repaired.
The pump and motor were pulled out of the well from 500 feet in the ground to determine that they were both fried. We quickly ordered replacements to minimize the time we are short irrigation water. Most pumps take 12-16 days to be delivered so as soon as they arrive we will put them in the well to start pulling water again.
Our available water is cut nearly in half when this well is down. We depend on our other two wells and our stock pile of water in the holding ponds on holes 13 and 14.
Our main goal is to keep the grass alive that is in play so we turn down sprinklers in the rough and range to conserve water. You might have started to see some of these areas turning color. Now more than ever we hand water to put the water where it is dry. We also put out small pop up sprinklers that also put the water in the exact spot that is dry. These methods really help to conserve water.
We have been lucky not to see a large amount of brown grass in the rough with the cooler days we have been having. This should continue through next week so I don’t see any major issues with this inconvenience. We will do everything we can to keep playing conditions the same and roll with the punches.
Sonoma Agronomy 