BENCHMARKING IRRIGATION WATER USE IN GOLF COURSES - A CASE STUDY IN SPAIN

The golf sector is a relatively new competitor for scarce freshwater resources in many countries. Golf courses are increasingly being required to implement best management practice programmes promoting efficient use of water. As part of these programmes, water audits are undertaken to diagnose the current performance of the golf course. Benchmarking, a systematic process for detecting inefficiencies based on comparisons between similar systems, is a potential tool for identifying and targeting problem areas. An existing benchmarking methodology developed by the International Programme for Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage for agricultural irrigation schemes has been adapted for evaluating golf course irrigation. The objectives of growing sports turf are very different from agricultural production systems, but the underlying ethos is directly comparable. Groups of indicators were developed in four domains: system operation, financial performance, productive efficiency and environmental issues. The methodology was applied as a case study to three courses in south-east Spain to test its usability and capability. The results showed that the use of standard indicators and benchmarking does help highlight areas of potential improvement, though the particular circumstances and location of each course must be taken into account when interpreting the results. A larger data set using the standardized indicators is now needed to make the methodology useful more widely. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.