Thursday, Sep 10, 2026 The claims desk. Receipts included. POWERED BY LENZ ↗
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U.S. golf courses applied about 1.63 million acre-feet of irrigation water in 2024.

The Claim

U.S. golf courses used about 531 billion gallons of irrigation water in 2024 (about 1.63 million acre-feet of applied water).

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

Available evidence supports the stated quantity. Multiple recent sources tied to the national GCSAA/USGA survey report about 1.63 million acre-feet of applied irrigation water in 2024, and that converts directly to roughly 531 billion gallons. The main caveat is terminology: this is applied irrigation water, not necessarily net consumptive water use.

Caveats

  • The 2024 number is a national survey-based estimate, not a complete meter-by-meter census of every U.S. golf course.
  • The figure refers to applied irrigation water; it should not be conflated with consumptive use, return flows, or water permanently lost.
  • Many public summaries come from golf-industry organizations, although the core estimate is also reflected in a peer-reviewed publication.

The Receipts

  1. Golf courses reduce water usage by 31 percent according to national survey

    GCSAA

  2. Survey of Water Use and Management Practices on US Golf Courses

    HortTechnology / ASHS

  3. Water Conservation Playbook Released to Golf Industry - USGA

    USGA

  4. Golf Course Management • December 2025 • Page 62

    Golf Course Management

  5. Golf courses reduce water usage by 31 percent according to national survey

    Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA)

  6. From acre-feet to outcomes: Interpreting the 2024 GCEP water survey

    Golf Course Management Online

  7. Golf Course Management • December 2025 • Page 72

    Golf Course Management

  8. According to a 2025 survey by the GCSAA and USGA, U.S. ...

    Instagram

  9. Golf uses more water than data centers. By 2x, or by 100x, ...

    Buttondown

  10. GCSAA Study Shows America's Golf Courses Used 31% Less Water Since 2005

    Arizona Alliance for Golf

+ 7 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

United States

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