Summer 2015 - 113
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bermudagrass that needed less
water.
The club also largely uses
recycled and reclaimed water for
its irrigation, pulling precious little
from the municipal water supply.
But it still wasn't enough. Since
2005, the cost of water has climbed
annually from $400,000 to about
$1.5 million. And costs will continue
to rise.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime
project," said Graham Lebowitz,
North Ranch general manager.
"This is not just about current
members, but about how we make
sure that North Ranch is here
100 years from now. It's about
sustainability and looking to the
future."
The club, which was opened in
1974, currently has about 600 golf
members, including some well-
known athletes and Hollywood
celebrities.
Other clubs in the area are in step
as well. For example, Brookside
Golf Club in Pasadena, a 36-hole
municipal facility, has removed 22
acres of turf; and Glendora Country
Club is just starting to remove
approximately 25 acres of turf.
The rebate program and the
turf removal projects in the area
have combined to show a 25
percent drop in water use since
1990, according to the MWD, a
cooperative of 26 cities and water
agencies serving nearly 19 million
people in six counties.
PROACTIVE
ongoing drought in California, leadership at the
Country Club near Los Angeles is removing turf.
LOWERING WATER DEMAND
Requests for turf removal rebates in California
since the start of 2014 have nearly doubled.
