Have you ever seen a golf course that has multiple water holes that look and smell like they’ve seen better days? Weeds Noxious odors Water scum Discolored water Those are just some of the issues that can negatively affect a golf course pond that doesn’t undergo annual dredging. Many golf course maintenance departments think that they can solve the problem of unsightly water by dumping a couple of 5-gallon buckets of herbicide into the water.