Golf course irrigation in the United States reached a projected 1,631,915 acre-feet in 2024, while irrigated acreage totaled a projected 1,057,165 acres. The long-term data show lower applied water than in 2005, greater use of recycled water by share of facilities, and substantial regional differences in intensity, cost and management.
Key Golf Course Water Use Statistics
The following figures summarize the most useful golf course water use statistics for the United States and selected international context:
- In 2024, U.S. golf facilities applied a projected 1,631,915 acre-feet of irrigation water.
- In 2005, U.S. golf facilities applied a projected 2,378,558 acre-feet of irrigation water.
- From 2005 to 2024, projected U.S. applied water fell 31.2%.
- From 2013 to 2024, projected U.S. applied water fell 12.2%.
- In 2024, the Southwest and Southeast together accounted for 56% of U.S. applied golf-course water.
- In 2013, median water use for an 18-hole course was 3.87 acre-feet per irrigated acre per year in the Southwest.
- In 2013, median water use for an 18-hole course was 0.60 acre-feet per irrigated acre per year in the Transition zone.
- In 2024, wells supplied 32% of U.S. golf-course applied water.
- In 2024, recycled water supplied 19% of U.S. golf-course applied water.
- From 2005 to 2024, facilities applying recycled water rose from 10.8% to 13.7%.
- In 2024, projected recycled water applied by U.S. golf facilities totaled 296,454 acre-feet.
- In 2024, projected irrigated acreage totaled 1,057,165 acres across U.S. golf facilities.
- In 2024, median irrigated acreage per U.S. facility was 61.9 acres.
- From 2005 to 2013, median all-source water cost rose from $204 to $298 per acre-foot in the United States.
- In 2013, median annual water cost for a Pacific 18-hole course was $159,730.
- In 2024, 57.5% of U.S. facilities were required to report water use.
- In 2024, 28% of U.S. facilities had drought plans.
- In 2024, 93% of U.S. facilities said soil-moisture sensors had a positive operational impact.
- In Spain, an estimated 41% of golf irrigation water came from wastewater reuse in a study published in 2007.
Contents
- National golf course water use trends
- Regional and facility-size irrigation data
- Golf course water sources and recycled-water statistics
- Irrigated acreage and playing-area data
- Water costs, restrictions and management adoption
- Conservation outcomes and international evidence
National Golf Course Water Use Statistics and Trends
The national totals below are projected survey estimates of irrigation water applied to U.S. golf facilities. They are not direct meter readings for every facility, and “applied water” means irrigation water applied to facilities.
| Period | Projected applied water | Geography and measure |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2,378,558 acre-feet | U.S. golf facilities |
| 2013 | 1,859,021 acre-feet | U.S. golf facilities |
| 2024 | 1,631,915 acre-feet | U.S. golf facilities |
The 2024 Golf Course Environmental Profile reports that projected applied water fell 31.2% from 2005 to 2024, 12.2% from 2013 to 2024, and 3.2% from 2020 to 2024. The earlier Documenting Trends in Water Use and Conservation Practices on U.S. Golf Courses reported the 2013 estimate as 21.8% below the 2005 estimate.
These comparisons combine projected survey estimates across years, so they describe reported national trends rather than a complete meter-based time series. The 2020 survey contacted 14,145 facilities and received 1,575 responses, with weighting used to represent U.S. facilities, as described in Water use and management practices on U.S. golf courses.
Regional Golf Course Irrigation Data by Region and Facility Size
Regional climate, acreage and facility mix create wide differences in water intensity. In 2024, the Southwest and Southeast together represented 56% of national applied golf-course water, while North Central projected applied water was 190,924 acre-feet.
The 2013 regional medians for 18-hole courses illustrate the spread:
| Region | Median applied water per irrigated acre, 2013 | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Southwest | 3.87 acre-feet per acre per year | 18-hole course median |
| Transition zone | 0.60 acre-feet per acre per year | 18-hole course median |
The 2013 GCSAA water-use report found that course-level use ranged from no irrigation to more than 9 acre-feet per acre per year. That is an observed range across courses, not a national average.
North Central projected applied water was 28% lower in 2024 than in 2005. Its median applied water per facility fell from 52.0 acre-feet in 2005 to 40.0 acre-feet in 2024, while its 2024 median applied water per acre was 0.9 acre-feet.
Facility counts also changed between 2005 and 2013. North Central had 3,925 facilities in 2013, down 202 facilities or 4.9%; the Southeast had 3,046, down 204 or 6.3%; the Transition region had 2,795, down 166 or 5.6%; and the Southwest had 1,201, down 23 or 1.9%.
Golf Course Water Sources and Recycled-Water Statistics
Wells were the largest reported source of applied water in 2024, followed by lakes and ponds and recycled water. Wells and lakes or ponds together supplied 59% of applied water.
| Source | Share of applied water, 2024 | Geography |
|---|---|---|
| Wells | 32% | U.S. golf facilities |
| Lakes and ponds | 27% | U.S. golf facilities |
| Recycled water | 19% | U.S. golf facilities |
The 2024 Golf Course Environmental Profile projected 296,454 acre-feet of recycled water applied in 2024, 15.7% below 2005. The source-volume trend and source-share trend are different measures.
Facilities applying recycled water rose from 10.8% in 2005 to 13.7% in 2024. In 2013, recycled-water adoption was 15.3% of respondents nationally, 45.5% in the Southwest, 30.5% in the Southeast and 23.1% in the Pacific region.
The earlier report also estimated that recycled water supplied 25% of applied water in 2013, up from 14.7% in 2005, while wells supplied 31% in 2013. These survey estimates use different periods and denominators, so adoption of a source by facilities should not be treated as interchangeable with its share of total water volume.
Irrigated Acreage and Playing-Area Water Data
Projected irrigated acreage across U.S. golf facilities was 1,057,165 acres in 2024, 10.5% below 2005. At the facility level, however, median irrigated acreage was 61.9 acres in 2024, 13.2% higher than in 2005.
The difference reflects the distinction between a projected national total and a median facility measure. The 2024 survey also reported that median irrigated fairway acreage decreased 9.2% from 2005 to 2024.
Regional medians were substantially larger than the national facility median in 2024:
| Region | Median irrigated acreage per facility, 2024 | Reported comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Southwest | 87.5 acres | 141% above national median |
| Southeast | 90.9 acres | 146% above national median |
| United States | 61.9 acres | National median |
The Southwest and Southeast values are medians, not average acreage across all facilities. Their reported comparisons should not be read as additional national acreage totals.
Golf Course Water Costs, Restrictions and Management Adoption
Water costs varied sharply by course and region. The median all-source water cost in the United States rose from $204 to $298 per acre-foot between 2005 and 2013.
For U.S. 18-hole courses in 2013, the 25th percentile of annual water cost was $5,900 or less, while the 75th percentile was $96,700 or less. Median annual water cost was $159,730 for a Pacific 18-hole course and $140,301 for a Southwest 18-hole course.
Regulatory exposure also changed. Required water-use reporting rose from 48.4% of U.S. facilities in 2005 to 57.5% in 2024, and annual recurring water allocations rose from 21.7% to 28.7%.
Mandatory water restrictions fell from 15.8% of facilities in 2005 to 12.1% in 2024. These are reported facility conditions, not measures of the volume restricted or saved.
Planning prevalence in 2024 was as follows:
- 28% of U.S. facilities had drought plans.
- Nearly 17% had water-management plans.
- 17% had stormwater plans.
All cost, restriction and planning figures above come from survey estimates in the Golf Course Environmental Profile: Water Use and Conservation Practices on U.S. Golf Courses, 2005-2013 and the 2024 Golf Course Environmental Profile. Denominators differ among all facilities, respondents and 18-hole courses.
Golf Course Water Conservation Outcomes and International Evidence
Adoption data indicate how facilities manage irrigation, but adoption alone does not establish measured water savings. In 2024, 93% of facilities said soil-moisture sensors had a positive operational impact, while 33% used wetting agents and 13% used nutrients as irrigation-injection treatments.
Among facilities that reduced irrigated acres, 64% cited water conservation as a reason. Among facilities reporting reduced water use, 89% said golfers were receptive to appearance changes, defined in the survey as a receptiveness score of 3–5.
In 2013, 29% of respondents used handheld soil-moisture sensors for irrigation scheduling. The 2024 Golf Course Environmental Profile describes the 2024 sensor result as perceived operational impact, not independently measured savings, and the 2013 figure as reported adoption rather than a causal trial.
Spain provides a separate international reference point. A national modeled study, Competing demands for irrigation water: golf and agriculture in Spain, estimated that 41% of golf irrigation water came from wastewater reuse and 7% from desalination; the study was published in 2007 and based its estimate on survey data, literature, agroclimate and GIS.
The Spain estimates are not directly comparable with U.S. water-volume statistics. They describe modeled national source shares for Spain, while the U.S. figures combine projected totals, facility medians and survey-based adoption measures across explicitly different periods and populations.