Golf course will reduce turf to save water
Players at the Oceanside Municipal Golf Course will soon see a little less green as the facility works to cut back water use.
Under a new water-saving program, about 1 million square feet of turf will be removed and replaced with drought tolerant landscaping at the city-owned golf course, located a 825 Douglas Drive.
The City Council unanimously approved an agreement on Wednesday with the company that manages the course, Oceanside Golf LLC, and the Metropolitan Water District, which will subsidize the $2 million project.
Officials said the turf removal in areas where the game is not played will reduce water use by about 15 percent. The water-thirsty grass will be replaced with “California friendly” landscaping, including decomposed granite, mulch and native grasses.
“I like the idea,” said Councilman Chuck Lowery. “It’s been done for years in courses in desert areas.”
Kyle Blubaugh, the golf course’s assistant general manager, said the facility has been trying to cut back water use for years. Some of the areas that are slated for removal have already been affected by the reduced watering.
The new landscaping will not only save water but it will also make the golf course more attractive by providing added definition to the fairways, tee boxes and greens.
“It’s going to make it much better and it’s going to look better,” Blubaugh said.
Under its SoCal Water Smart Program, the Metropolitan Water District will pay $2 for every square foot of turf that is removed from the golf course. The project is expected to cost about $2 million, including labor and materials.
The district approved the city’s application for the rebate in July.
Earlier this year, Oceanside was ordered to reduce its water use by 20 percent under a state mandate affecting all cities in California which is in the fourth year of an unprecedented drought.
To achieve its goal, the city has taken a number of steps, including enforcing outdoor irrigation restrictions, replacing natural grass with artificial turf in city facilities and stopped using water fountains such as the iconic pool at Civic Center Plaza.
City officials said this summer that the city was meeting its water saving goals. The city cut its water use by 31 percent from May 2013 to May 2015 and 25 percent from June 2013 to June 2015.
In May, the council also approved a plan to spend $1 million on a pipeline that will carry recycled water to the Goat Hill Park golf course and the El Corazon soccer fields.
The turf removal at the golf course will be conducted by Landscapes Unlimited, a company that has performed similar turf reduction projects at local courses, such as the Carmel Mountain Ranch Golf Course in San Diego and the San Vicente Golf Course in Ramona, officials said.
