CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Jaycee Golf Course has won the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ 2026 Water Conservation Excellence Award for cutting its water use through a grass conversion and a new precision sprinkler system, the agency announced Wednesday.
ODNR’s Division of Water Resources cited the Ross County course for two investments: converting its fairways and tee boxes from traditional cool-season grasses to Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass, a warm-season cultivar, and installing Rain-Bird precision sprinkler heads throughout the property.
“Jaycee Golf Course shows what’s possible when a facility takes a thoughtful, science-based approach to water use,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said in a statement. “Through their investments and improvements, they’re conserving one of our state’s most valuable resources while still delivering top-quality conditions for golfers. This is the kind of leadership we hope to see replicated across Ohio.”
Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass is suited to Ohio’s hot, dry summers and held up against disease, heavy rainfall and the extreme cold of the 2025-2026 winter, according to ODNR. Cool-season grasses, by contrast, struggle in Ohio summers and require more irrigation and chemical treatment to stay healthy and playable, the agency said.
Since switching grasses, Jaycee Golf Course has also cut its fungicide budget and its electricity use for irrigation, according to ODNR. The course’s new Rain-Bird system reinforces those savings by applying water only where and when it’s needed and skipping unnecessary watering of areas outside of play, the agency said.
The results have drawn attention from other golf course superintendents interested in the conversion process, its maintenance demands and its environmental and economic payoff, according to ODNR.
The Water Conservation Excellence Award is part of ODNR’s push to promote sustainable water use statewide. In 2025, the agency recognized Blacklick Woods Golf Course, a Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks course, for a similar switch to Zoysia grass. ODNR will accept nominations for the 2027 award beginning in January.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
