Golfers at Sharp Park warm up to color change

PACIFICA, Calif. (KGO) -- The California drought is taking its toll on lawns around the Bay Area and the grass is as dry as the weather. Golf courses, like Sharp Park in Pacifica, are no exception. They have had to cut back millions of gallons of water.

A few golfers on the course have actually begun to embrace the brown grass look and like how it plays. Some we spoke to said they understand the drought is going on and think the whole course doesn't have to be green.

The golf course in Pacifica is owned by the city of San Francisco, where the Recreation and Parks Department has reduced their water consumption by 24 percent from two years ago. At Sharp Park, they save 15,000 gallons a day by using recycled water on 20 percent of the golf course. The rest they sprinkle conservatively.

Fun part of it is the dry grass and ground has some golf shots rolling 20 percent farther.

If a brown course still seems wrong to you, keep in mind the British Open every year has brown on either sides of the course. The British Isle courses are where the game was developed and many parts of the course weren't even irrigated.

The look is a natural fit for Sharp Park since it is a seaside golf course, designed by one of the greats -- Alister MacKenzie from Scotland. Some players today say they wouldn't mind if the brown spots on the course were permanent since it is a natural look for the coastline.