Unfortunately, that is not the case. Long-term drought effects can take years to become apparent. House foundations may crack and require major repair. Crop losses can cripple a local economy. Dramatic wildfires can cause extensive damage. Golf courses, despite a lush appearance, are not immune from long-term injury, and some parts of the country are beginning to see the impact of one of the driest stretches in U.S. history.

Most golfers recognize the short-term impact of a drought. Irrigation ponds or lakes ebb with each day. Grass in non-irrigated areas stops growing and turns brown or, when water is high in salts or sodium, turns yellow and becomes prone to damage from traffic. Wide ground cracks begin to develop. But the most extensive damage may take years to become obvious.

By far the best means of preventing weed infestations is to maintain a dense, healthy turf. Once turf dies, opportunistic weeds fill the void. This might seem like a blessing considering the prospects of playing on bare soil. However, once the rains return the negative aspects of heavy weed populations become obvious. It may take years of diligent and costly herbicide applications, and possibly even complete replanting, to restore good playing quality.

Soils with a high percentage of clay swell and contract depending on moisture. This movement buckles roads, breaks building foundations and cracks swimming pools. It also causes severe damage to underground irrigation systems. Most systems use buried electric wire or hydraulic tubing to control sprinkler operation. As the soil contracts, irrigation control wire and tubing is stretched to the breaking point, leaving sprinklers inoperative. Worse, expansion and contraction places tremendous strain on the miles of pipe and the thousands of fittings in an irrigation system. Some breaks occur right away, which explains why superintendents and their crews are constantly fixing leaks during a drought. But others occur for years after as weakened pipes and joints fail.

Although lost turf is unsightly, it can be repaired with seed or sod. But trees can sustain catastrophic damage. The smallest roots are responsible for collecting water and nutrients. As the soil dries deeper and deeper, more of these roots are lost. The same swelling and contracting that crushes pipe can sever large segments of the root system. Old and weak trees may die early into the drought, but even healthy trees can be left susceptible to insects, disease and high winds for as much as three to five years.

Understandably, golfers often wonder why their course is touched by drought given their irrigation systems. There is a good reason: For economic reasons, irrigation systems are designed to supplement average rainfall, not replace rain altogether. Let’s assume your area normally receives two inches of rain in August, and that the course’s primary grass needs four inches of water in that month. The deficit must be applied artificially, which can tax an already stressed irrigation system that cannot keep up with the plant’s demands.