Fine Tuning Irrigation

Even though we have been using the new irrigation system for three golf seasons, minor upgrades and changes within both sprinkler components and Rainbird software are still being made. Just this week, fairway edges on the 7th fairway began to dry excessively, showing weak coverage despite nightly irrigation. Larger nozzles that throw water farther were installed, increasing irrigation coverage to both fairway and rough.

We have installed larger nozzles (and increased irrigation coverage) to many areas since 2005. Larger nozzles installed last fall to green perimeter heads have improved green surrounds by increasing coverage. Larger nozzles installed at #2 green helped this green improve this year. I estimate that 25% to 35% of all heads have had a nozzle change since the system was completed in 2005.

We have written and use different irrigation programs that assign longer or shorter run times for each golf course area, such as greens, tees, fairways, roughs, practice tees, etc. On days the weather station computes maximum water loss in turfgrass plants, (such as almost all of July this year) longer run times are chosen for each different area.

From the irrigation computer, we can adjust each of the 1100 sprinkler heads. To "fine tune" the system even further, run times of individual heads can be raised or lowered as a percentage of the chosen run time. This adjustment is based on how the turf is performing at the location of each sprinkler head. For example, the sprinkler head located on the top tee of #14 is currently adjusted to irrigate 200% of the chosen run time because of its normally dry condition. Heads located on the left side of the second fairway of #15 have been adjusted to 50% or less because of the large shade causing beech tree located there. Heads throughout the property have different percentages assigned based on how the turf usually performs in that area. These percentages are constantly being monitored and changed.

OK....I had better get back to my hose, still the most important piece of irrigation equipment we own!!