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Golfing is a sport that is enjoyed all year round. But what about the work that goes on behind the scenes to provide such a great experience?
It takes a lot of time, greenkeeping skill, and water to maintain a golf course!
Did you know, a typical golf course uses anywhere between 378.5 m3 to 3,785 m3 of water per week in the summer months. At higher consumption levels, this can cost over £8,000 a year. But, if you manage a golf course you should know that high water use doesn’t mean you can’t save money on your water bill.
The easiest way to save money on your bill is to ensure you’re with the best supplier on the best contract. Since the business water market is now open in both Scotland and England, you can choose your water retailer and shopping around to choose the right retailer can mean big savings.
Some retailers will also offer consolidated billing so that if you manage more than one golf course you can benefit from receiving just one bill for all of them.Less admin and more time to play golf!
Water efficiency is another great way of making big savings. Below, we’ve listed some simple ways you can help to keep your costs down.
1. Submit regular water meter readings
If you don’t already have a water meter installed, this is a great solution. Furthermore, an automatic meter reader might be the answer.
If you do already have a meter, it’s a great idea to submit meter readings as regularly as possible. You can submit readings quickly and easily on MyAccount. By providing meter readings, your water bill will be more accurate.
Having a water meter will also help you to identify a leak.
2. Don’t overwater
If your water sprinklers are set to automatically water, regardless of weather, they could be over-watering the grass and unnecessarily costing you money. Perhaps you could consider rainfall during your irrigation process – a professional water audit can help work this out for you.
3. Arrange a water audit
Water audits are a great way for any business to identify water-saving opportunities. Our framework partners can assess whether your golf course is using water efficiently – taking lots of things in to account including the absorption rate of your soil, rainfall when watering, and whether you are using the best types of equipment for your needs. Using this information, we can make personalised recommendations on how to save water and money.
Furthermore, we can survey for any hidden leaks that are costing you money. If a leak is left to do its work, costs can mount up and your course won’t benefit either.
4. Get water efficiency products
There are so many water efficiency products available nowadays, most of which are simple attachments to your existing water equipment. As part of a water audit, our framework partners will recommend the best products for your business.
5. Have pipe valves fitted
If you do identify a leak, fitting valves to your underground pipes means the pipe can be turned off, preventing further leakage and damage until it is fixed. This is something that is especially useful to golf clubs with underground pipework and this could help prevent the fairway being ruined.
6. Collect and recycle your water
Excess rainfall water on the course can be collected and used for future watering, for example in a pond. You can also collect rainwater in a water butt. By using the water collected from here in the irrigation system, you could supplement the water you pay for with water that’s completely free.
