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Drought means rough play, bargains for Bay area golfers

Tribune photo by CLIFF MCBRIDE

Golfers on the 13th green have no trouble with this 'water hazard' that is bone dry on the course at Babe Zaharias Golf Course

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By BAIRD HELGESON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 12, 2009

TAMPA - Some greens are brown. Tee-boxes are scorched. A few ponds are dry.

The ongoing drought has turned some once-lush golf courses into brown and dusty landscapes more reminiscent of the roughs in Phoenix than the fairways of Tampa Bay.

Golf course managers are spending less time watering and more time apologizing. The drought and the tanking economy are part of the reason players are finding deep discounts at area courses.

"It's definitely taken its toll," said Paul Holden, director of golf at The Eagles, a 36-hole course in Odessa. "The conditions are definitely not the best."

Last week, a golfer at The Eagles could play 18-holes for $20, about half off. Golfers would have noticed a few bare patches on the fairways, brown roughs and low lakes.

"Everybody's affected," Holden said. "We aren't the only ones."

Golf course superintendents in the area said they've cut back water usage as much as 40 percent as Central Florida endures its third year of drought.

Most golf courses sprinkle with reclaimed water and can generally use as much as they want. But those courses have cut usage as storage ponds and lakes have dried up.

More than 50 courses have permits to draw groundwater from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Many of those courses are allowed to withdraw millions of gallons a year. They have cut back, too.

Over the years, though, Hillsborough is one of only 16 Florida counties to increase the amount of fresh water it sprinkles on its golf courses. Water withdrawals for recreational purposes, 70 percent of which is golf courses, rose from 13.8 million gallons per day in 2000 to 14.1 million gallons per day in 2005, the most recent statewide data available.

Even Palm Beach, which withdraws far more fresh water for golf courses than any of Florida's 67 counties, managed to cut its use during the five-year period. Palm Beach County went from 74 million gallons per day to 51 million gallons per day, according the U.S. Geological Survey.

Statewide, freshwater withdrawals for golf courses fell from 412 million gallons per day in 2000 to 330 million gallons per day in 2005. By comparison, Florida golf courses used 110 million gallons per day of reclaimed wastewater in 2005.

The most parched golf courses focus what little water they have on the greens, generally leaving fairways and roughs to Mother Nature.

At Babe Zaharias in north Tampa, some fairways are a patchwork of dirt and dying grass. A couple ponds are dry, their black soil sprinkled with poorly struck balls.

Some golf course managers said they hear few, if any, complaints. Local players generally aren't surprised to see the courses in conditions similar to their own brown and prickly lawns, they said.

"People understand," said T.J. Heidel, a golf professional at Babe Zaharias. "And the putting greens are what customers care about."

That has not always been the case at Rocky Point Golf Course. Players often return to the clubhouse grousing about the chopped up fairways and ball-snatching roughs that range from tan to brown.

"We get a lot of complaints," said Ted Wallace, who works as a starter at the first tee. "Nobody's real happy. All we can do is apologize."

Some courses are offering deep discounts. Last week, the Golf Club at Cypress Creek in Ruskin offered a 12:36 p.m. tee-time for $16.26, a nearly 70 percent discount.

The Claw at University of South Florida has been hit with three hardships: the bad economy, the drought and a months-long project to rebuild the putting greens. Players will have to finish holes on temporary greens.

In light of the conditions, the course is offering a $20 special that includes a bucket of practice balls, 18 holes of golf, a hotdog and a bag of chips.

"Actually, the course is in pretty good shape, all things considered," said Adam Combs, general manager at the Claw.

Area course managers' sunny optimism can cause a public relations problem.

Local golf courses are already in the economic doldrums, with several courses reporting revenue declines of 20 percent compared to last year. Many courses don't publicize the poor conditions, which can anger tourists who spend thousands of dollars expecting a tropical golf vacation.

Pat Campbell of Minneapolis and three other friends chose the area for their annual spring golf pilgrimage.

They played several courses near Ocala during their five-day trip in late March. Juliette Falls golf resort and spa in Dunellon was the driest.

At first, Campbell's friends thought it was great they were one of few groups on the course.

Then they realized why. The course was brown and battered, Campbell said. Everybody seemed to know about the course's poor condition except them.

"It was like an atomic bomb had gone off and only the buildings survived," he said.

Campbell said he understands the hardship and challenges created by the drought. He just wishes someone had told him.

"Would we come back? Probably not," he said.

Next year, they are planning a trip to San Diego.

Top Ten Counties

Fresh water withdrawals for golf courses, in millions of gallons per day.

1. Palm Beach, 51

2. Broward, 37

3. Lee, 26

4. Collier, 24.6

5. Hillsborough, 14.1

6. Orange, 10.5

7. Osceola, 10.3

8. Martin, 10.3

9. Lake, 9.7

10. Sarasota, 9.3

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, 2005 – most recent statewide figures available. Does not include reclaimed wastewater.

Reporter Baird Helgeson can be reached at (813) 259-7668.

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