The Truth about Golf Course Water Use from the SNWA

Southern Nevada golf courses are viewed by some as huge water wasters and the first place water consumption should be cut, given the current drought conditions. According to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, that should view is completely false.

In a recent “Tap the Truth” video segment, Colby Pellegrino, SNWA deputy general manager of resources, stated the facts of the situation and urged residents to understand before jumping to conclusions. She also praised the golf industry for what it has done to preserve water.

“The reality here is that most of the golf that exists in the valley has been here for quite a long time,” Pellegrino said. “And they’re really good irrigators. One of the largest parts of any golf course’s budget is the amount that they pay for water, which means they’re quite sophisticated in their use of technology to control their water use. And they’re great participants in our water smart landscape program. In fact, we’ve removed enough turf from our existing golf courses that we could make nine new golf courses. So they’ve done their share in trimming their water use. In addition, they’re on a water budget, which ensures that they have the flexibility to manage their water use, but they get penalized if they use more than the turf that they have requires.”

Did you know golf is a nearly $2 billion industry in Nevada and helps power our economy? ?️

Did you also know local courses have removed more than 900 acres of grass through our Water Smart Landscapes program? That’s 2 billion+ gallons of water savings! https://t.co/tZdag62M7J pic.twitter.com/Xp7yFm2CsP

— Southern Nevada Water Authority (@SNWA_H2O) August 6, 2022

Thanks to the SNWA for sharing this important message. Also featured was the fact that golf in Nevada is about a $2 billion a year industry.

The Southern Nevada golf community urges all residents to follow water guidelines and remove turf where possible. The better we all do, the better golf does.