Sun City West reports record water savings for 2025 and trials TifTuf turf at Echo Mesa
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Summary
Maintenance staff reported the 2025 golf operation used 434 acre‑feet less than its allotment and outlined a TifTuf fairway trial and a proposed Stardust irrigation/turf project intended to reduce water use and operating costs.
Todd, the maintenance lead who presented the annual water report, told the committee that Sun City West ended 2025 "434 acre feet under our allotment this year," the lowest total the speaker could find in the records and part of a 13‑year run under the conservation allotment.
Todd credited completed projects (Echo Mesa, Grandview shoreline improvements) and said the fourth and fifth management plans reduced allotments by 128 acre‑feet cumulatively. He recommended continued conservation work and previewed field‑day closures for greens and fairway verification during April–June.
On turf, Todd described a 5‑month trial of improved bermudagrass (TIFTUF) on the No. 9 fairway at Echo Mesa and said the Stardust project under consideration for 2027 would remove about 22 acres of irrigated turf and could convert as much as 56 fairway acres to TIFTUF across courses in phases. He estimated water savings of 20–30% if the new turf is not overseeded during the first year, and projected a return on investment of roughly 10 years based on current assumptions.
Committee members asked about playability and dormancy in winter; Todd said the TIFTUF fairway is semi‑dormant now but should improve as organic matter develops. He also cautioned that the first year after planting would require adjustments to overseeding practice and closure planning.
No final decision was made about a broad conversion; the trial results and member feedback will inform whether Stardust moves forward as proposed. The committee asked that the project and its projected savings be carried forward in capital and budget review.