Unless you take the time to fully grasp the scope of this critical topic, you may waste valuable time, energy and resources with marginal results. Improving the effectiveness of your irrigation system will range from major changes; pump stations, central control programs, adding/upgrading satellite stations or minimal changes; addition of irrigation heads, use of part circle heads vs full circle and/or implementing a regular maintenance practice from your local vendor.

Take Inventory

At The Plateau Club, we are nearing the end of an upgrade to our system. Initially a full inventory (hole by hole) was done to identify deficiencies and specific areas that would be improved by irrigation improvements or enhancements.

Once we understood the scope of our challenges, we began planning how to best address the issues we were facing. Timelines, prioritization and costs were then factored as we established our best and most effective course of action.

Step One

We upgraded our existing central control computer with Site Pro from Toro to establish a more effective means of controlling our watering capabilities.

Our old system simply did not allow us to control and monitor our watering practices to the level we needed. Also, we purchased the hand-held radios that complement the Site Pro system. This allows us to program and selectively water from a range that was not feasible with our old system.

Step Two

We determined we would require a least 6 new 64-station satellites. On some holes, the existing 32- or 54-station satellites provided adequate support of the number of irrigation heads, but on many holes, we found need to increase our satellite capacity to meet the demand of additional irrigation heads or rewiring of existing heads.

In many areas we found irrigation heads that were doubled or tripled up, not allowing for single-head control. It offered no option to add heads for green surrounds, bunker faces or in fairway or rough areas. Without installing the larger capacity satellite stations, the fruits of our efforts would not be realized.

Step Three

We committed to a regular maintenance contract w/ Carl Taylor from Western Equipment & Toro Irrigation. Carl’s expertise and technical support has been invaluable to our efforts as we address the overall watering of the course.

Needless to say, the efficiencies we gained from a labor perspective were immediately noticed allowing us to utilize our labor resources in other areas, basically doing more with the same amount of labor.

Battery-Operated Controller

Recently I spoke with Brett Shaffer (superintendent at Dalton Ranch in Durango, Colo.) who made a few small changes to his irrigation system by adding irrigation heads around a bunker face. He used a battery-operated controller by Rainbird (TBOS).

This controller links to a solenoid, then to a scrubber valve allowing the valve to control the heads.

The battery operated controller is programmed by a hand held computer that plugs into the solenoid. This was a good way to make a small change and offer better coverage on small mounds or in this case a bunker face that needed more water.

Understand Your Challenges

There are a number of ways and tools to help you better water your course, but until you understand the full scope of your challenges, you may find yourself working harder and utilizing resources that could have been used more efficiently. Talk to your members, club staff and managers and develop a plan that adds value to the overall experience. Upgrading your watering capabilities will only increase the enjoyment of your customer’s golfing experience.

Editor’s note: Myers is GC superintendent at the Plateau Club in Samamish, Wash. He can be contacted through email at jimm@plateauclub.com