Best Practice Guidelines for Sporting Fields: A guide for climate-resilient playing surfaces
New South Wales, Australia
Merit Award: Research
SUBMITTED BY
Paul Lamble, Peak Water Consulting
PROJECT OVERVIEW
NSW sporting fields face increasing pressure from population growth, usage, and limited resources
- Industry often misattributes poor turf conditions to overuse or lack of irrigation
- Developed Best Practice Guidelines to improve performance, sustainability, and water efficiency
- Focus on optimizing water use, field resilience, and long-term community outcomes
RESEARCH APPROACH
- Assessed irrigation performance (~100 fields) and field conditions (~2,000 sites)
- Modeled water balance and turf stress over 23 years across 21 climate zones
- Analyzed drought resilience, carrying capacity, and field design types
- Integrated 15+ years of industry experience
KEY FINDINGS
- Irrigation needs vary significantly by region
- Most systems are inefficient, with poor uniformity and outdated practices
- Field condition is driven by soil, turf, and maintenance—not wear
- High-performing fields use less water than industry standards
- Well-designed natural turf fields are both durable and drought resilient
BEST PRACTICE PRINCIPLES
- Align turf, soil, and drainage with site conditions
- Optimize irrigation efficiency and system performance
- Maintain proactive management and balanced field use
- Design for durability, water efficiency, and climate resilience
IMPACT & SIGNIFICANCE
- Challenges industry assumptions about water use and turf performance
- Shows that design and management—not more water—drive outcomes
- Provides a scalable model for sustainable, high-performing sports fields
