How One Golf Course Improved Turf Without Using More Water

As golf facilities across North America confront increasingly dry conditions and growing pressure to conserve water, Olympic View Golf Club is demonstrating that better turf quality doesn’t necessarily require more irrigation.

According to Golf Course Superintendent T-Jay Creamer, the club’s 2026 turf management strategy focuses on maximizing the effectiveness of every gallon of water applied rather than increasing overall water consumption.

Following a relatively wet winter, southern Vancouver Island has experienced an extended stretch of dry weather. Instead of responding by simply increasing irrigation, the maintenance team expanded several agronomic programs designed to improve the turf’s ability to utilize available moisture more efficiently.

One of the most significant changes this season has been extending the fairway nutrient program into many rough areas. Those areas now receive bi-weekly applications of nitrogen to encourage healthy growth, iron to improve turf color, and wetting agents that enhance the soil’s ability to absorb and retain moisture.

“Importantly, this is not about using more water. It’s about using water more efficiently,” Creamer explained in the club’s June grounds update.

Because portions of the rough receive less irrigation due to the golf course’s existing irrigation design, the enhanced wetting agent program allows available moisture to penetrate the soil more effectively, producing healthier turf with the same amount of water.

The initiative represents a significant investment in both products and labor but supports the club’s broader objective of steadily improving playing conditions throughout the golf course.

Rather than pursuing wall-to-wall green turf during the hottest months of summer, the maintenance team has adopted a more sustainable philosophy. Select areas of natural browning remain acceptable while high-priority playing surfaces receive the attention needed to maintain quality conditions.

Olympic View has also continued making targeted irrigation improvements where they provide the greatest benefit. Three sprinkler heads were added to the No. 12 approach during 2024, significantly improving turf performance compared with conditions photographed in 2021.

Additional improvements have been realized on the No. 11 approach, where supplemental growing material and reseeding performed last summer have produced stronger turf entering the 2026 season.

Elsewhere, irrigation refinements included relocating a sprinkler head on the No. 2 tee to better target high-traffic areas without increasing overall water use.

Related – U.S. Golf Courses Cut Water Use 31% Since 2005

Beyond infrastructure improvements, Olympic View has increased seasonal staffing to expand hand-watering operations. Although labor intensive, hand watering remains one of the most precise methods of irrigation, allowing staff to deliver water exactly where it is needed while avoiding unnecessary waste.

The combination of precision irrigation, targeted infrastructure upgrades, enhanced fertility programs, and increased labor reflects a growing trend throughout the golf industry: using agronomic science and water management practices to improve both environmental stewardship and golf course conditioning.

As many golf facilities continue adapting to climate variability and increasing expectations for sustainability, Olympic View’s approach illustrates how thoughtful resource management can produce healthier turf while using water more responsibly.