Golfing through El Niño, one balde at a time

Buddy Resurreccion, John Hay Golf’s indefatigable general manager in Baguio, is the kind of man who refuses to lose his sense of humor, even when confronted with a crisis.

With El Niño threatening to turn lush fairways brown, golf course managers have their work cut out for them. Keeping a course playable requires careful water management, resourcefulness, and a willingness to accept less-than-perfect conditions.

But ask Buddy how John Hay Golf is preparing for the challenge, and you get an answer that is as practical as it is funny.

“Bumibili na kami ng balde,” he quipped.

Buying buckets may not be the conventional solution to a looming water shortage, but that is Buddy’s way of taking a difficult situation in stride. Behind the joke is the serious business of maintaining one of the country’s most scenic golf courses.

Industry estimates put daily irrigation use for a full-size golf course at several hundred thousand liters — roughly 800,000 liters for a 72-hole layout. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has already urged Metro Manila courses to shift toward recycled water and other conservation measures as El Niño tightens supply.

Fortunately, some clubs have found ways to reduce consumption or recycle water.

Baguio Country Club has a rainwater collection system that stores water in lagoons for course irrigation, while John Hay Golf uses treated wastewater from its sewage treatment plant (STP).

While John Hay relies on treated wastewater, Veterans Golf Club has had to get resourceful.

Long hampered by limited water supply, the Quezon City course sees its fairways turn golden brown each summer — earning it the nickname “Chocolate Hills Golf Club.”

Without a sprinkler system, workers water selected areas manually, prioritizing tee mounds, landing areas, and the greens and their surroundings.

Two years ago, Veterans began collecting treated wastewater from the hospital’s STP and storing it in the lagoon facing the clubhouse. Workers use water tankers to transport the recycled water and irrigate key areas of the course.

General manager Corli Vinluan has been dealing with the problem long before El Niño became a concern, relying on common sense and that well-known Filipino trait called abilidad.

“We make full use of what we have,” he quipped.

Frankly, playing on brown fairways is no big deal. It is better than not playing at all.

Veterans regulars like me are used to firmer fairways, extra roll, dry lies, and changes in green speed. We often remind one another to play approach shots short of the pin to improve our chances of hitting greens in regulation.

So, should golf courses temporarily close because of water shortages?

I don’t think so.

Golf supports jobs and livelihoods. Caddies, greenskeepers, maintenance crews, and other employees depend on the industry, which also generates activity beyond the course — hotels, restaurants, transportation, equipment retailers and tournaments.

More importantly, golf remains a sport, not merely a luxury product. Juniors, amateurs, professionals and senior golfers all deserve the chance to play.

Rather than shutting down, courses should cut back on irrigation, tap alternative sources and learn to live with firmer fairways and drier lies. A well-managed course is not necessarily the greenest one; it is one that provides good golf while protecting livelihoods and preparing for unpredictable weather.

The days of keeping every fairway perfectly green regardless of cost may be numbered. As long as courses manage their water sensibly and do not compromise essential community needs, there is no compelling reason to close them.

In hindsight, Buddy has a point. Managing a course through a water shortage requires a cool head and practical solutions. After all, golf already tests a player’s temperament.

And if El Niño gets worse, at least Buddy has a plan — or, more accurately, a punchline.

One can only hope those buckets won’t have to work overtime.