Water use (irrigation) on golf course is going to be the most challenging dilemma in the next 20 years for golf courses. At HCC, it doesn't impact us as much because we live in a temperate rainforest. Our annual water usage is somewhere between 10-15 million gallons per year depending on the weather. This is minimal to clubs in dryer climates yet is reported annually to the State of NC. In addition, our water is free, pumped from Swan Lake. I have heard of different facilities paying as much as $2 million/year in water. This specific club is in California and purchasing city water to irrigate their golf course. A heavy watering cycle at HCC uses about 200,000 gallons of water in one night.
It will be crucial for golf to prove its value in the future as responsible water users that offer other environmental benefits. Otherwise, as one industry expert put it, we are going to see more golf courses using artificial turf surfaces in the next 50 years. Fresh water is becoming a treasured commodity in many areas. The general stereotype is that golf wastes water. Check out the statistics above...it make surprise you. Also, did you realize golf courses comprise less that 1% of turf surfaces in the world?
Also, with regards to pesticide use, grass is the best water filter available, tying up contaminants from runoff etc. Compare this to agriculture, where farmers apply fertilizers and pesticide to bare soil. One heavy rain event and you can guess where it ends up!