The Danish Greenkeepers Association (DGA) annual conference took place from November 12-14, 2019 at the Rönnes Hotel in Slettestrand, in Northern Jutland, Denmark. Over 140 greenkeepers, coming from all of Denmark attended this popular, three-day event.

The main topic of the 2019 conference was climate change and how it is affecting golf courses. Several guest speakers addressed related issues.

Joakim Ström, Rain Bird Golf Sales Manager for Scandinavia, gave a presentation on the need for golf clubs to create a risk management strategy and how to make irrigation more efficient for drought conditions.

His presentation included a top 10 list of actions:

  1. Winged Foot Golf Club

    Syringing the greens at sunrise through the Quick Coupler Valves

    Allocate time for regular checks and maintenance

  2. Activate new control system settings and analyze the effect
  3. Evaluate your worst areas and make adjustments
  4. Irrigate in millimetres instead of minutes
  5. Take into account specific micro-climates in specific areas
  6. Use moisture meters and fine-tune your irrigation
  7. The BIG 5 – sprinkler height, angle, pressure, nozzle, arc
  8. Utilize cycle and soak functions
  9. Measure rainfall and use equipment that can adjust irrigation in real-time
  10. Replace block-controlled sprinklers with valve-in-head rotors for control and efficiency

Joakim comments, “The climate change theme of this year’s conference fitted perfectly with Rain Bird’s guiding philosophy The Intelligent Use of Water and approach to irrigation technologies. Greenkeepers are adapting what they do to cope with warming temperatures and changing weather conditions. By implementing many of the small changes we’ve suggested now, greenkeepers will use less water and energy, without compromising play and course performance.