LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Water conservation continues to be one of the most important considerations of golf course owners and managers throughout the southwestern United States.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority recently lowered the water budget in the Las Vegas Valley with a 33 percent reduction in allotted water. The most efficient way to meet that threshold is to remove turf.
TPC Summerlin and PTI Golf have joined forces again this year to do their part in battling the ongoing crisis. For the second straight year the popular Las Vegas golf course contracted with PTI Golf to facilitate a turf reduction project in an effort to conserve water.
A total of 12 acres of turf were removed and replaced with natural desert vegetation. Last year the Las Vegas-based PTI removed eight acres.
The turf removal and desert re-naturalization project took place mainly on the back 9, with the largest sections of removal on holes 13 and 16.
“Basically our team removed the turf and water dependent vegetation and replaced it with natural desert plants and material,” said PTI’s Director of Golf Course Construction David Marcucilli. “The nine new varieties of vegetation use only 10 percent of the water that the removed plants required.”
The areas affected were well outside the playing area of the golf holes, most of them 50 yards or more from the center of the fairway.
“The strategy of the golf holes hasn’t changed, “ said Marcucilli. “Other than aesthetically, golfers will not notice any change in how the golf course plays. We basically added a native desert bumper to the perimeter of the golf holes.”
The TPC Summerlin staff was also happy to have PTI Golf.
“I really enjoy working with PTI,” said Dale Hahn, Golf Course Superintendent at TPC Summerlin. “They have good communication and expertise. Kip Wolfe made the extra effort to get us the desert plants we requested. I’ve always been happy with PTI’s work.”
For more information, visit www.ptigolf.com.
