Rain Bird Keeps Baltusrol in Championship Condition Year-Round

When one of America’s prominent clubs undertook an extensive 36-hole restoration, they knew the irrigation system would be the “backbone” for the future. They chose Rain Bird.

There are few clubs that can match the history and culture of Baltusrol Golf Club. The Upper and Lower courses that A.W. Tillinghast brought to life a century ago on a special site in New Jersey are both among the best. They’ve hosted 19 major championships and the lower course will be the site of the 2029 PGA Championship.

The members are passionate about their property, which boasts not one but two Top 100 golf courses. That’s why the decision to close and restore both courses back to the original designs at the same time was so remarkable.

How did they do it?

Objectives

  • Create reliable championship playing conditions on a daily basis
  • Remove satellites and satellite boxes for a cleaner look
  • An irrigation system that would provide more flexibility and efficiency

“In 1918 we hired Tillinghast to develop the first dual courses in America—which are now our Lower and Upper golf courses,” says Baltusrol’s co-chair of the master restoration plan committee, Matt Wirths. “It’s been very important that Baltusrol maintain that legacy and leadership within golf.”

Director of Golf Ryan Fountaine echoes Wirths’ sentiments and says Baltusrol is a place that sets the standard for excellence. The course restoration was “a new opportunity to set ourselves above the rest,” he says. “Everybody that was involved and every piece of technology we put in the ground was extremely important to us.”

That sense of history—and urgency—prompted the club to take the unprecedented step of deciding to do both golf course restorations as one large project.

The membership understood that a new, modern golf course irrigation system was critical to the restoration process. “Irrigation is really the backbone to having a properly conditioned course,” Wirths says. “It’s something we felt was critically important to the success of both the Upper and Lower restorations.”

The job of planning and executing the massive project fell to Director of Grounds Greg Boring. “Championship golf is in our DNA (but) over the years, we’d lost a little bit of the identity of our golf courses,” says Boring. “We’d lost that true A.W. Tillinghast design and feel.” The club made the decision to bite the bullet and do the double restoration to reclaim the legendary designer’s original intent.

Boring also knew this was an opportunity to take playing conditions at Baltusrol to the next level. “This club and this membership wanted championship conditions on a daily basis, and that’s what we strive for,” he says. But the previous irrigation system wasn’t able to consistently meet that demand. “We needed reliability, and we really didn’t have that.”

Boring says the old irrigation system was only able to supply about 1,800 gallons per minute and that just wasn’t enough to achieve conditioning goals. They also wanted to remove satellites and satellite houses and get a clean look. Finally, they wanted to be able to diagnose issues at the touch of a button. “That’s where we looked to Rain Bird.”

And thanks to that decision, the team at Baltusrol got exactly what they needed.

Key Players

Director of Grounds: Greg Boring
Course Superintendent: Shawn Haverdink
Master Restoration Plan Committee Co-Chair: Matt Wirths
Architect: Gil Hanse
Director of Golf: Ryan Fountaine
Distributor: Ewing Outdoor Supply

Ultimate Reliability

The new golf course irrigation system has the ability to deliver 4,200 gallons a minute “pretty much anywhere we’re looking for with ultimate reliability,” Boring says. “We’ve opened up vistas and corridors throughout the entire property. We just have so much more availability and flexibility with our Rain Bird system now.” And it can all be managed from a phone or tablet.

His superintendent, Shawn Haverdink, agrees. “In the new irrigation system, we were looking for something that was going to be easier to use, provide us more flexibility and be more efficient.” They found that and more with CirrusPRO™ software and IC System™.

Unmatched Flexibility

Rain Bird rotors were also a huge difference-maker for the Baltusrol agronomy team. What’s the first thing that comes to mind for Boring about the new sprinklers? Reliability. “It’s a product that has stood the test of time.”

He says the new 752s and 952s they installed give them the flexibility to precisely manage moisture on Baltusrol’s huge putting surfaces. “Our greens average 8,300 square feet. Most of them are massive. Some are over 11,000 square feet. Having flexibility with our nozzle control on those rotors gives us everything we were looking for.”

Easy Diagnostics and System Management

Boring knows that having a system with more than 4,000 heads could seem overwhelming. “But having (control) at the touch of your fingertips while you’re out in the field looking at things has been a game-changer for us.”

His team no longer has to circle back to one central computer at the maintenance facility to try to fix issues they identify. “We can go out in the field right now and adjust heads in real-time. The Rain Bird IC System gives us diagnostics at our fingertips.”

Those capabilities have changed Boring’s approach to scouting for turf issues. “Before, I would always tell my people that your eyes are your most important tool. Whenever you’re out there, look for dry spots. That’s how we’d find out if a head wasn’t working properly. Now we have pinpoint control and can check on a daily basis. This Rain Bird system gives us that ability at a moment’s notice.”

What Ultimately Made Rain Bird the Right Choice?

For Boring, who’s now been at the famed golf club for six years, the value of the new system comes back to having new options and a streamlined approach. “It’s not quite so overwhelming (to manage 36 holes), and Rain Bird gives us the flexibility we need to simplify the entire irrigation system here at the club.”

The Bottom Line

For Matt Wirths and the leadership at Baltusrol, it’s simple: “This is not something you do every year; it’s something you do generationally. Our membership has grown to enjoy near-championship conditions on a daily basis, and Rain Bird was absolutely our first choice” to help achieve that goal.

Looking back, Boring is very pleased with the outcome and with selecting Rain Bird: “When we made this decision to restore these golf courses, it was a monumental decision. We were shutting down two top 100 courses for 18 months. We weren’t going to get another opportunity to do this over again. We had to get this right. We had to make the correct choice. And I think we nailed it.”

Testimonial

“We had to get this right. We had to make the correct choice. And I think we nailed it.”

-Greg Boring
Director of Grounds
Baltusrol Golf Club


Continue Reading

  • Hoiana Shores Golf Course

    Discover how Hoiana Shores Golf Course, ranked as the best in Vietnam, elevates its playing surfaces with the advanced Rain Bird IC System™. Learn about the course's intelligent irrigation technology, sustainable practices, and the impact of precise water management on maintaining pristine conditions. Hear from Superintendent Long Nguyen on how innovative solutions like CirrusPRO™ Central Control are transforming golf course maintenance, ensuring optimal water use, and enhancing overall efficiency.

  • Golf Los Lagos

    Golf Los Lagos in Spain transformed its course with a new Rain Bird® irrigation system, improving playability and aesthetics while reducing water usage and maintenance costs. Head Greenkeeper Miguel Monguilod notes the smooth implementation and early positive impacts, making the course a model for others considering similar upgrades.