During the record-setting 2007-08 drought in North Carolina, when the governor called water conservation everyone’s patriotic duty, a brown lawn was a badge of honor instead of a neighborhood blight. But even before the drought began, NC State researchers were studying ways to use less water in outdoor irrigation, which could make green yards honorable during future dry spells.
Many golfers already know that NC State's Lonnie Poole Golf Course was designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer, and they can't wait for their chance to hone their skills on the 250-acre, Centennial Campus masterpiece. But the course will grow into a into another role as a 250-acre outdoor classroom and "living laboratory" for students and faculty, some of whom don't even play golf.