Water in short supply for Sun City golf courses

Water restrictions and little to no rainfall may cause Sun City golf courses to lose their lush green color earlier this year.

For the third year in a row, the Arizona of Department of Water Resources is allotting less water to the Rec Centers for use on the golf courses. After using more than the allotted 5,101.47 acre feet of water in 2002, the RCSC agreed to use 882 acre feet less water over the next six years, starting in 2003. To date, the RCSC have used 582 acre feet less water, leaving a difference of 300 acre feet. That water savings must be spread out over the remainder of this year and 2009.

"To accomplish this, the golf courses will have to cut back on irrigation water by 150 acre feet in 2008 and 150 acre feet in 2009 to complete the savings of 882 acre feet," said John Snyder, RCSC Director of Golf and Grounds.

Coupled with the limitation on groundwater use is the fact that golf courses have gone more than 80 days without rainfall.

"It will be difficult to keep the grass green and growing on the golf courses this summer, as well as to keep lakes such as Dawn Lake and Viewpoint Lake full," Snyder said.

To help stay within the water conservation allotments and offset the lack of rainfall, RCSC will continue several programs put in place last year including aerificiation and administering a wetting agent to the golf courses.

Throughout June, RCSC will perform deep tine aerification at all golf courses' fairways. The process will open the fairways to allow irrigation water into the soil and move down unwanted salt build-up away from roots.

Also, RCSC will apply a wetting agent to each golf course. The wetting agent improves infiltration of water into the soil helping reduce the amount of water needed for irrigation.

In addition to the aerification process and wetting agent application, RCSC will perform spot watering or syringing of golf course turf in the afternoons. This is done to help keep moisture in the plants during the low humid times of the day and keep from having to over-water areas that receive enough irrigation from the night watering.

"The RCSC golf courses face probably the toughest year for rainfall in recent history, but we'll do our best to maintain playing conditions," Snyder said. "We ask cardholders for their patience as we implement and perform these actions to offset the lack of rainfall and water conservation allotment limits."