Minnesota Golfer - Directory 2023 - 23

lar rainfall years, as he doesn't
have to tap groundwater aquifers.
Eagle Valley was built in
1997 with an irrigation system
of underground pipes that filter
water from ponds throughout
the course. When the city
of Woodbury expanded nearby
Hwy. 19 in 2014, the runoff was
diverted into a large, 12-footdeep
holding pond near holes 7
and 8 of the city-owned course.
Erickson installed a pump
and has been capturing stormwater
to irrigate his course
and save nearly a third on his
groundwater use.
" It probably saved me 8 milGolf
courses act as a community's largest rain garden, filtering storm water runoff,
recharging groundwater and pollution abatement.
lion gallons of water last year,
Erickson says. " But in a plentiful rainfall year, it probably saves
more because I wouldn't have to use a deep well. If we got rain
once a week and that pond stayed full, I wouldn't have to use the
deep well at all. "
While Eagle Valley benefitted from municipal ownership
with the project, other courses have employed their own stormwater
ponds, including Prestwick Golf Club (across Hwy. 19
from Eagle Valley) and Oneka Ridge Golf Corse. But lack of preexisting
infrastructure or local partnerships can be a financial
impediment to some public courses.
Perhaps more affordable than retrofitting a course's irrigation
system is re-grassing with modern drought- and diseaseresistant
turf varieties-such as Boll is doing at Interlachen.
The University of Minnesota's Horticulture department has
developed these cultivars for years, and Boll has been testing 10
of them in his nursery to see what will work best to replace the
At the Edina Country Club, course renovations included tools to control
sprinklers and conserve course water usage.
mixed stand of grass on his course. What started as a plan to ward
off winter kill will also help in water usage when Interlachen regrasses
this May.
" We currently have a mixed stand of annual Bluegrass and
bentgrass, " Boll says. " But the annual bluegrass has restricting
value, meaning it's not as well rooted and needs more water, fertilizer
and plant protectants to keep it healthy. "
Boll will remove the grasses on his greens, tees, and fairways
and reseed with two cultivars of modern bentgrass. Then he'll
selectively remove bluegrass and bentgrass from the rough areas
and inter-seed more drought-tolerant cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass
and fine fescues.
" With the transition to a solid stand of bentgrass on our playing
surfaces, we anticipate saving five to 10 million gallons of
water per year, " Boll says. " I can keep that water shut off for longer
durations because the bentgrass is much more efficient with its
rooting and able to capture more moisture within the ground. "
Working in superintendents' favor is the increasing desire of
golfers for firmer, faster playing conditions-which goes handin-hand
with less water. It's a fine line to walk, but it can be a
win-win.
Process efficiency and resource management are also good for
the golf courses' bottom lines, and healthy, profitable golf courses
are good for the industry, which is estimated at $2.3 billion statewide,
according to an economic impact study commissioned by
the MGA.
Indeed, the game brings plenty of jobs to the community
(Aumock says the MGCSA represents approximately 600 turf
professionals in Minnesota, alone). And golf also provides plenty
of joy to its participants. Therefore, it's incumbent on all of golf's
stakeholders and constituents to recognize the importance of
water usage efficiencies to the future of the game.
mngolf org
mngolf.org
Directory 2023 MINNESOT
ectory 2023
NESOTAGOLFER
2
23
PHOTOS: MARK BRETTINGEN (UPPER RIGHT);
PETER WONG PHOTOGRAPHY (BOTTOM LEFT)
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Minnesota Golfer - Directory 2023

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