Club president Rudi Kats said the club had been awarded $15,000 from New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) to irrigate the 18-hole course.
The club relied on treated town water to irrigate the course.
However, that was no longer viable, Mr Kats said.
‘‘We use about 6 million litres of water a year.
‘‘With the increasing costs of town water, it’s become important for us to find an alternative source.’’
The irrigation project was initially focused on identifying and developing a more sustainable water source.
Early work was under way, with exploratory drilling to locate groundwater and determine the best site for a bore pump.
The club had considered using water from the Clutha River, which it had accessed in the past, but ruled out that option due to environmental risks, Mr Kats said.
‘‘Once it’s up and running, we expect our water charges to reduce by about $7000 a year.
‘‘We also expect it to reduce costs for local ratepayers, who are paying for the town water to be treated with chlorine and fluoride.
‘‘This is especially important as many of the residents are older people, living off pensions.’’
NZCT grants, marketing and communications general manager Ben Hodges said it was a practical project that would take pressure off the town’s water supply while helping the club manage its costs.
‘‘It’s good for the environment, and it benefits the wider community as well.’’
The Central Otago District Council said the water saving would be about 2.8% of the town’s annual consumption or 200 typical 30,000-litre rural water tanks.
It would reduce the amount of water needing to be treated to drinking-water standards.
This not only conserved treated drinking water but also reduced treatment costs, chemical usage, energy consumption associated with pumping and wear on water infrastructure.
It was especially important that irrigation was used during the summer when the town’s water supply had its highest demand, the council said.
Established in 1914, the Roxburgh Golf Club has 90 members and hosts many visitors.
It is a unique course known for the schist rock formations in and around its fairways.
The club has become a part of the Teviot Valley community, frequently used as a venue for events.
