California golf courses tee up water-saving measures

California golf courses are teeing up on water conservation measures as the state enters its fourth bone-dry summer.

More than 860 golf courses statewide are waiting to see exactly what the recent mandate to cut overall potable water consumption by 25 percent will mean for them.

But many courses aren’t waiting to save the precious liquid.

Dozens have signed up for turf reduction rebate programs that offer up to $3 per square foot to rip out grass.

The average 18-hole golf course in California conservatively uses almost 90 million gallons of water a year — enough to fill about 136 Olympic-size swimming pools.

Courses are also installing wireless moisture probes that can “talk” to each other and tell groundskeepers exactly where and how much to water.