Woodland Hills golf course takes steps to conserve water

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. (KABC) -- Keeping a golf course green takes plenty of water. But in a time of drought, the Woodland Hills Country Club is taking steps to reduce its water usage.

The club did away with some of its green turf and installed a field of drought tolerant plants.

Several acres near the 16th hole that used to be water-thirsty grass now have California native grasses, including thistle and oaks, course superintendent Steve Sinclair said. That adds up to a 10 percent reduction in grass that needs to be watered.

The change has brought more wildlife to the area, Sinclair said.

"We have a lot more birds in these areas than we ever had," Sinclair said.

The club is also using advanced technology to make sure it uses as little water as possible. A weather station that connects to a sophisticated computerized irrigation system determines exactly how much water is needed in each of the 1,250 sprinklers.

"We can adjust each and every head out here to the exact percentage that it needs," Sinclair said. "All the areas aren't getting the same amount of water."

It means much less water, and in some ways a more interesting golf course. When the ball gets in the rough, it's quite rough.

"There's still an occasional complaint when a golf ball gets lost in a native area, but it is what it is," Sinclair said. "It makes it more fun and gives you a different challenge."