Grey Rock Golf Club survived the 2011 drought by concentrating resources on its most valuable asset—its greens.

"Watering was the biggest thing that impacted us," Marketing Director Denise Fisher said. "There were restrictions on what water was available. We had gone to hand watering versus the automatic system. It's more efficient."

Fisher quoted Course Superintendent Mack Williams as saying that when the drought worsened, the course stopped watering fairways and roughs in favor of the putting areas, which can cost $30,000 to replace.

The course also banned cart usage on the fairways to limit wear and tear.

"We did lose some [fairway] grass, but that stuff will come back," she said. "It may not come back as quickly. We may need to put down more fertilizer to get it back to where it was."

She said the drought did not affect game play.

"Conditions may not be as good, but people are still playing," she said. "If the fairways are brown, that's not as much of a consideration."

Fisher said the key to surviving the drought was having a consistent, year-round course maintenance plan.

"You aerify [the soil] at certain times of the year," she said. "It allows you to weather a drought better because you're taking care of what's underneath the grass."

Grey Rock Golf Club, 7401 SH 45, 288-4297, www.greyrockgolfclub.com