In Georgia, golf course managers have emerged as go-to gurus on water conservation for both industries and nonprofit groups.
…“Look, if you want to learn how to irrigate, these are the guys to ask,” said Garith Grinnell, who recently retired from the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Such accolades are a turnabout for a business that is often faulted for harming the environment through excess use of water and pesticides.
In Georgia, the shift in perspective came about largely because of a crippling drought that peaked in 2007. By that year, 97 percent of the clubs that belonged to the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association had voluntarily adopted what are viewed as best-management practices for water use, reducing consumption, they estimated, by 25 percent in just three years.