"The Bay Hill Club & Lodge chose Rain Bird because they have proven to be the leader in the golf irrigation industry with their Central Control and IC Systems. We have been extremely happy with the installation and performance of our IC System. Its ease of install and use has given us the control we need during the renovation process.” — Chris Flynn, CGCS, Director of Grounds, Bay Hill Club & Lodge
Winged Foot’s updated and fine-tuned irrigation system is now paying off in a big way.
The golf course has been built on native sand dunes with high infiltration rates and very high summer temperatures so Vinpearl Golf required an irrigation system with individual head control to allow flexibility to adjust watering schedules on the high and low points of the course and achieve elite playing conditions year round.
Bush Hill Park Golf Club is a stone’s throw from Enfield Town in North London. Originally 9 holes, this 100-acre parkland course was designed by Open Championship winners James Braid and Harry Vardon and enjoys a reputation for being the best maintained in the area. Much of the irrigation system was installed 25 years
To the south of Lake Maggiore against the backdrop of the mountainous massif of Monte Rosa, Castelconturbia Golf Course is a highly-rated 27-hole course covering more than a million square metres of gently undulating Italian countryside. Severe drought in 2017 presented the course with a significant challenge. After an
“Looking to the future, I wanted our irrigation system to be more efficient and to use less water and electricity to run it. Having a detailed tutorial on the Control Software helped me properly understand what we could gain. It was an easy decision
“When you begin to explore the efficiencies that can be made by reducing hand watering, you realise they are significant. Dave will make significant time, labour and water savings using Rain Watch™ and Cycle+Soak™ across the course, along with the agronomic and playability benefits that come from optimising the use of water.”
Steve Lloyd, Course Manager, explains, “When I joined in 2014, irrigation was one of the areas that the club had wanted to address for some time. Installed 28 years ago, the system had reached the end of its useful life. We were turning the irrigation system on and off manually, the PVC pipework and glued joints had gradually deteriorated and been damaged by tree roots, sprinklers were poorly spaced and there was no pressure regulation. We approached Irritech in 2016 to carry out an independent appraisal of the existing system and make recommendations for upgrading and future-proofing irrigation to the greens, surrounds and approaches.”
Part of this larger redesign included bringing single-head control to the greens of the course, which had been redesigned with a new block satellite system in 2006. With the goal of irrigating more precisely and efficiently, he turned to Rain Bird for fresh thinking and an innovative plan.
Thai Country Club in Chacheongsao, Thailand, just outside Bangkok renovated their irrigation system by upgrading to a Rain Bird Par+ES Satellite system with a Rain Bird Stratus II Central Control. The course upgraded their irrigation control system in order to improve the system efficiency as well as course playability. An irrigation system analysis was completed showing the
Installing a new Rain Bird IC System helped Old Marsh Golf Club bring their irrigation system up to modern day technology while meeting several key criteria for their renovation.
Golf Environmental Organization (GEO) is an International not-for-profit dedicated to helping the golf community embrace sustainability; providing practical solutions and golf's ecolabel, GEO Certified. June 2017's Champions of the Green article from Golf Environment Organization highlighted Vidago Palace Golf Course in Portugal. In 2008-2010 the course was expanded from a 9-hole course into an 18-hole Par 72
Irrigation has gone through significant changes. Technological advances have kept pace with player expectations, course conditioning trends and the need for environmental responsibility. Given the costs of upgrading and modernization, many courses are forced to work with an inefficient irrigation system and try to minimize any negative effects on the turf and course playability.
With elevation changes up to 1,000 feet from the lowest to the highest point, the sprawling property is comprised of numerous microclimates. As rain and wind are captured in various pockets of the mountains, Desert Mountain often has areas of their course that receive heavy rainfall, while nearby areas get no rain at all.
The often unpredictable weather patterns of the Florida coast placed extra demands on the irrigation system for The Club at Admirals Cove. Some rain events would impact one section of the course while leaving other areas dry. Finding a system that could precisely analyze precipitation and respond to changing conditions by automatically adjusting irrigation was critical to establishing elite playing conditions.
