Beyond the Sprinkler Head: How Golf's Biggest Challenge is Also Its Greatest Untapped Power Source

We recently polled the golf community, asking a simple question: "What is golf's biggest sustainability challenge?" The verdict was overwhelming and unanimous: 100% of respondents identified water as the number one issue.

And it’s no surprise. Water consumption, cost, and stewardship are front-and-center for every course superintendent. But what if the most innovative solution wasn't just about using less water, but about unlocking the hidden potential within the water you already use?

The story of water on a golf course isn't just about volume; it's about pressure and flow. And that's an energy story.

Where Water Flows, Energy Follows

Your irrigation system is a high-pressure network designed to deliver water across acres of terrain. To manage this system, you rely on Pressure Reducing Valves (PRVs) to step down pressure and protect pipes and sprinkler heads.

A PRV’s sole function is to bleed off and destroy excess pressure, dissipating that powerful potential energy as simple heat and friction. It’s a necessary component in a traditional system, but it’s also an energy thief, throwing away a valuable resource with every irrigation cycle. How often do we overlook the energy hidden in the systems we already run?

The Tap Energy Solution: A Power Plant in Your Pumphouse

The industry has spoken: the focus is on water. We agree. That's why we developed a solution that finds value within your water system instead of just drawing from it.

Tap Energy specializes in compact, in-line hydroelectric turbines designed to replace standard PRVs. Our technology performs the exact same function of stepping down pressure, but with one crucial difference: it uses that pressure drop to generate electricity.

Here’s how it works:

1. Harnessing the Mainline: Our turbine is installed on a primary irrigation line, typically after the pumphouse where system pressure is at its peak.

2. Generating Power: As water flows through the system, the force of the required pressure drop spins the internal turbine, generating a steady and predictable stream of clean electricity.

3. Offsetting Your Biggest Cost: The electricity produced is fed directly back into your course's grid. This power can significantly offset the energy consumption of the very pumps creating the pressure, or help power the clubhouse, maintenance facilities, and pro shop.

You don't change your water usage. You don't alter your irrigation schedule. You simply transform a point of energy waste into a point of energy production.

Turn Your Biggest Challenge into Your Smartest Asset

The most innovative solutions address a core problem from an unexpected angle. While the industry is laser-focused on the challenge of water, Tap Energy has found a way to turn that very system into a solution for your other major expense: energy.

By harnessing the power hidden within your water flow, you turn an operational liability into an asset. It creates a powerful hedge against rising electricity rates and adds a new layer of financial and environmental sustainability to your course. The future of golf isn't just about using less; it's about being smarter with the resources you already have.