St. George Golf Courses Rank As Top Water Users

Five golf courses in the city consumed over 180 million gallons each in 2025.

Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Golf

St. George Golf Courses Rank As Top Water Users

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Should golf courses in your area be required to meet stricter water usage limits?

In 2025, five golf courses in St. George were identified as the city's highest water consumers, with usage ranging from 182.4 million to 226.5 million gallons. The Washington County Water Conservancy District has responded by capping future consumption for new developments.

Why it matters

The Washington County Water Conservancy District implemented these restrictions because current water supplies are insufficient to support additional high-volume users. This move aims to balance the needs of the local community with the demands of maintaining golf infrastructure.

Black Desert Resort led consumption at 226.5 million gallons, while SunRiver Golf Club used 182.4 million. The district now prohibits new developments exceeding 9 million gallons of annual water use.

The players

Washington County Water Conservancy District

This local government body manages and conserves water resources across the region.

The details

The courses rely on reuse water for irrigation across fairways, greens, and roughs. To lower overall consumption, the district is tracking non-trafficked areas via GPS and offering a $3 per square foot incentive for replacing grass with desert landscaping.

During 2025, five local golf courses recorded their annual water consumption levels.

Season Trajectory

These consumption figures set a precedent for future golf development regulations within the district. As the region prioritizes sustainable water use, the move shifts the landscape for local course maintenance and future expansion plans.

Four of the five high-usage courses are city-owned, meaning future landscaping changes may impact local municipal budgets or facility appearances. Residents may notice more desert-scaping and less traditional grass on fairways as the $3 per square foot conversion incentive takes effect.

The takeaway

Water management in arid regions is forcing a shift in how golf facilities are designed and maintained. Course operators and local planners are increasingly adopting drought-resistant landscaping to maintain operations without straining regional supplies.