OBJECTIVE: To measure the extent of variability in water demand across a golf course
PERSONNEL: Hongfei Jiang, Jack Fry, and Steve Wiest
SPONSORS: Heart of America Golf Course Superintendent's Association, Kansas Golf
Course Superintendent's Association, Kansas Golf Association
COOPERATOR: Mr. Cliff Dipman, Golf Course Superintendent, Manhattan Country Club
INTRODUCTION:
Quality of water management on golf courses varies greatly. Some courses have dated irrigation systems (or none at all) that do a poor job of delivering appropriate amounts of water where needed. Courses with relatively new irrigation systems often have a weather station on site that generates data for use in estimating turf evapotranspiration (ET) empirically. Common sense suggests that ET can vary greatly within a geographic region, because environment is the driving force for ET. However, little is known about the extent to which ET can vary on a specific site. Irrigation amounts typically are based upon a model generated from weather station data, but ET could be significantly lower or higher at other locations on the course. Information is needed on how extensive this variability can be.
The black Bellani plate atmometer provides a relatively accurate estimate of turf ET under well-watered conditions. Others have successfully used the Bellani plate to measure variability in a pasture with irregular terrain. Similarly, several plates could be distributed over a golf course to measure variability in water demand and accuracy of empirical models that generate ET information from one particular site where the weather station is located.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Five boxes, each holding two Bellani plates and respective water reservoirs, were placed on tees 3, 5, 7, 18, and near the weather station at the Manhattan Country Club in 1995. The locations differed in elevation, wind direction, and other factors. Boxes were mounted on poles so that plate surfaces were supported about 1 meter above the ground. Evaporation from each Bellani plate was measured on 19 precipitation-free days using a mass balance method. Evaporation from plates at the weather station was compared to that from plates at the four tees.
RESULTS:
Evaporation from plates located near the weather station was 8 to 19% higher than that at any other location on the golf course (Table 1). Turf under and surrounding the weather station site is thin and nonirrigated, likely resulting in higher air temperatures. Evaporation from plates on tees 3, 5, and 18 was not significantly different. Evaporation at tee 7 was at least 8% lower than that on any of the other tees. Tee 7 is surrounded by trees and shrubs, which limited wind movement and shaded the area, resulting in lower evaporation. Results confirm that water
demand can vary significantly across a golf course. If the area where the weather station is located is not irrigated, ET estimates produced from weather station data can be higher than actual turf ET. Weather data-generated ET information should be used as a guide for irrigation, realizing that various microclimates may require more or less water than predicted. Additional locations will be evaluated in 1996.
Table 1. Bellani plate evaporation at selected locations at the Manhattan Country Club in 1995.
| Bellani Plate Location | Evaporation (mm/day)* |
| Weather Station | 11.3 a** |
| Tee no. 3 | 10.0 b |
| Tee no. 5 | 10.2 b |
| Tee no. 7 | 8.4 c |
| Tee no. 18 | 10.0 b |