July 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 80

OPERATIONS

A cleared area of the golf course, under
construction.

The department's overall goal
is to build a sustainable golf
course and reduce water usage
by 50 percent - a goal projected
to be met within three years
thanks to the renovation.
amount of rainwater that can be
stored, but will also expand the network of pumps covering the northern side of the golf course that feed
stormwater into the lake.
Houston Parks and Recreation
Department Golf Course superintendent Jason Harsh is excited
about the changes and the course
designer. He says, " Tom wanted this challenge to design a course
that would challenge the PGA
Tour players, while also providing
a challenging and fun course to
play for the amateurs. "
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Harsh goes on to say, " The department's overall goal is to build
a sustainable golf course and reduce water usage by 50 percent -
a goal projected to be met within
three years thanks to the renovation. The new retention system
will allow water runoff from
65-70 acres of the course to be
reused for irrigation. That, along
with individual sprinkler control,
new computer application technology to start and stop the system and the use of soil moisture
meters to identify water needs of
specific turf areas make the system a win-win for the city and
Memorial Park Golf Course. "
The new system allows for the
fine tuning of each sprinkler to
use only the water it needs in any
given area. This is a big improvement over programming the 14,000
sprinklers in three-head blocks and

risking over- or under-watering
parts of the course. To further maximize water efficiency, drought-tolerant turf and vegetation will also
be installed on the course.
These improvements also take
into account environmental factors
unique to Houston by incorporating the course's topography into
the water management design.
Kibbe explains, " Based on Houston's annual rainfall, this new network of small ravines and expanded
lakes will capture 80 million gallons
of stormwater that can be reused to
irrigate the golf course. Depending
on when that rainfall occurs, we
might not need to use any city water
in the future. This will save the city
a lot of money, conserve water and
reduce discharge into Buffalo Bayou. We are providing a tremendous
benefit to all of Houston for years
to come. "
The Astros, coming off their 2017
World Series victory, are helping to
open a new era in Houston sports
by spearheading the renovation
of Memorial Park Golf Course.
The upgraded course, opening late
2019, will put Houston on the national stage once more and provide
a model for sustainable municipal
golf courses across the country.
Kibbe hopes that moving the
Houston Open to the newly renovated Memorial Park will " transform the Houston Open into one
of the premier events on the PGA
Tour " and " help [Houston] promote the city during a nationally
televised event. "
Steve Wright is the Director of Houston
Parks and Recreation Department (steve.
wright@houstontx.gov). @HPARD

July 2019 - Parks & Recreation

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