No Water!

     California is in probably its worst drought in history.  The California economy which relies on agriculture is in shambles because there is very little water to irrigate. This will effect all of us as far as the food we eat and the price of that food.
    Golf courses have been hit hard by the drought.  I know that watering a golf course is not as important as growing lettuce or raising cattle for our tables, but courses have been adversely effected by the drought as well. Water should go to agriculture before it goes to water grass on a golf course, but that doesn't change the fact that courses need water too. The  lush green courses we are used to playing here in California are for now, a thing of the past.  Everyone has to fight for their part of the water pie.
     It is not my intention to go into the politics of water.  That is not important, but it should be noted that part of this water crisis is brought on by some bad decisions on the part of the government.  This drought's impact could have been lessened if some sound water usage decisions were made.  You store water in a drought to be used later, not release it to be wasted by flowing to the Pacific Ocean. That's where I will leave it.
     Last Friday was a golf day for me.  I got to chat with the pro at my local course that I played, Rancho Del Rey in Atwater, California, about the water situation.  He was concerned about the situation.  Not only had the drought effected them, but also Merced County had changed the way that they were billing the course for water. Water costs were skyrocketing, and when costs skyrocket so do green fees.
     Normally they keep the whole course green during the summer months.  That is not the case this year.  Rancho has some of the lushest rough in the valley during the summer, but not this year.  I could already tell that parts of the course were not being watered and he told me that this was going to be the case.  Sprinklers that normally water the rough were being capped. They would do their utmost to keep the fairways green, and they were green when I played, but they would save water wherever they could.
     I will have more on this in other posts.  Until then, check out my new website at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com.  I have listed a lot of great courses that you can play.  I have personally played them all.  My U-tube page is up, so you can see some of the courses in a U-tube video.  Make sure you check it out.  In the meantime, hit 'em long and straight and make that birdie putt!

You can see some of the drought's effects on how dry courses are already.