Drought Concerns Hang Over U.S. Senior Open In Sacramento

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — With a month until the prestigious U.S. Senior Open in Sacramento, scrutiny is on the rise over how much water goes into making a golf course ready for such a big event.

Green lawns and golf courses have been in the crosshairs of the debate during the fourth year of California's drought. Residents across the region are being asked to cut as much as 36 percent of their water usage because of the lack of rain.

Now the spotlight is shining bright on the Del Paso Country Club, where the pros will soon be playing on fast and firm greens with a crowd estimated at around 125,000 for the weekend.

Golf course superintendent Mark McKinney gave CBS13 a tour.

"We've been working for years for those four days that the pros will be keeping score," he said.

Only at this year's U.S. Senior Open, the pros may be keeping score alongside California water watchdogs. McKinney says he's prepared for it.

"We understand that the world's going to have TV cameras here, and people are going to be watching us and be interested in how we're managing water and what we do," he said.

He showed off the technology he uses to reduce water use like moisture meters to precisely measure each green's water needs.

"This green will not need water for a long time," he said. "Probably not until the middle of the day tomorrow."

The Del Paso Country Club uses water from its own well. That groundwater isn't regulated since California didn't pass legislation until last year that doesn't go into effect until 2017. But McKinney says they use less water now than before the drought started.

"We are stewards of the resource, and we know that everybody's watching us, and we just want to make sure we communicate what's going on, and we've told you," he said.