THE COURSE
> C L I C K H E R E F O R A V I R T U A L T O U R O F T H E C E L E B R I T Y C O U R S E > C L I C K H E R E F O R A V I R T U A L T O U R O F T H E P L AY E R S C O U R S E
WATER
WISE
Indian Wells recognized
for environmental efforts
I
ndian Wells Golf Resort is part
of the massive Mojave Desert
eco-system. It rains infrequently
and it can get very hot
in the summer. Good
thing Brian Hampson,
the property's Director
of Agronomy, is well
suited to face the chal-
lenges of maintaining
a desert golf course.
"Before coming here
I worked in Dubai,"
said Hampson, who
has been at Indian
Wells for three-and-a-
half years. "Actually, I
have lived in the des-
ert for most of my life."
That's likely what
best suits Hampson as supervisor of
a 50-person staff at the resort's two
courses. Under his helm, the prop-
erty has been in the vanguard of
sustainability in the area and he
was a finalist for a sustainability
award from the Palms Springs
Convention & Visitors Bureau.
"We didn't get it this year, but it
was an honor to be nominated," he
said. "And I think this team has po-
sitioned itself so that we'll get it one
of these years."
The resort was the first to
tap into the Coachella Val-
ley's Mid-Valley Pipeline,
which pumps in non-potable
Colorado River water.
"We have the option to use up to
20 percent of our ground water but
we've elected to only use the non-
potable water," he said. "It's already
designed for agriculture and not for
human consumption, and we just
feel that using that is better for the
resort and the community."
Even that water is used prudently.
"When we talk about using water
in this industry, it's the responsible
use of it, and we certainly go out of
our way to use water in the most
responsible way possible," he said.
"We use very sophisticated equip-
ment, and we're out there every
day monitoring that equipment and
walking the course to see what areas
are wet, which ones are dry. The
balance is using just enough water.
Not too much or too little."
Hampson, who majored
in golf turf management at
Rutgers University in New
Jersey, says the most im-
portant aspect at a course
like Indian Wells is schedul-
ing major maintenance projects to
minimize impact on guests.
"The biggest challenge out here
isn't the lack of rain," he said. "It's
that we're so busy. There are always
golfers out here. So it's our job to
work in such way without golfers'
enjoyment being disrupted."
"We use very
sophisticated
equipment …
The balance
is using just
enough water.
Not too much
or too little."
BRIAN HAMPSON
Directory of Agronomy
(pictured)
Hole 14, Celebrity Course
BOOK
A
TEE
TIME
SUMMER
AERIFICATION
The Celebrity
Course will be closed
from June 16-July 3
and again from July
28-August 15. The
Players Course will
be closed from July
7-July 25 and again
from August 18-
September 5.
FALL OVERSEED
The Celebrity
Course will be closed
from September 29-
October 16. The
Players Course will
be closed from Octo-
ber 20-November 6.
COURSE CLOSURE DATES
