Never compromise on  irrigation system quality. 

Cameron came back to North Oaks just in time to oversee the installation of a much-needed new golf course irrigation system that would replace an aging system that still included some elements of the original 1950s construction. Issues included pipe and wire failures, poor pressure, and inadequate volume that would prolong water windows.

Fifteen years earlier, in 2007, the club had worked with Minnesota’s own Tom Lehman to renovate bunkers, expand some greens, and change a few grassing lines. But by 2022, the existing irrigation set-up had become a major issue and the membership voted irrigation and tee renovations as their top priority. “We had a lot of inconsistencies with different rotors on greens—some were even old brass impact sprinklers—even within one greens loop. Some had ins and outs and some didn’t. Some were wired together on the same stations due to satellite restrictions. Delivering a consistent product was incredibly challenging.”

He also found that some of the fairways had “block zone systems” that were tied into two fairways at once. “We had a lot of frustration with having to move things around for the simplest operations,” says Cameron.

Soon after his arrival, North Oaks leadership approved a budget for a new system. But the choice of the brand and the details of the new system would largely be based on the team’s experience, analysis, and input from golf course irrigation designer Erik Christiansen.

“Cost was the No. 1 concern for our board and finance committee,” says Cameron. “They deferred to us to make the call on the type of system that would set up the club for long-term success.”

Christiansen had designed a preliminary system layout, so when Cameron arrived he carefully reviewed all of the background information and made his choice.

“It was still up in the air when I got there but I was kind of the final link in the chain that led us to choose Rain Bird,” says Cameron. “I outlined the relative merits of the two systems (to the board) and gave them the pros and cons and they agreed with our recommendation.”

Why was it the right choice? “My thing with Rain Bird is the overall durability of the rotors and sprinklers. I’d worked with all kinds of heads at other properties, and Rain Bird heads stand out to me as the most durable and long-lasting. With the Rain Bird irrigation system, I feel like we’re never out in the field trying to fix nagging problems like weeping valves, leaking side boxes, stuck heads, or cracked rotors. There’s just a level of quality that stood out to me and my staff. Rain Bird rotors are simply the best quality we’ve worked with.”

He also likes the technology that delivers water to those heads. “The central system is great and the HDPE piping was also a home run for the membership because we are no longer in the way of play, digging holes and constantly fixing PVC leaks.”

Install golf course pumps with ​​seamless interaction to fix problems on the fly.

Cameron credits Adam Lesmeister of Clesens for putting together a great plan. “He’s been awesome, front to back. Adam was really involved right from the beginning, and he was a factor in our choice of Rain Bird.”

Lesmeister says the project was fun and challenging from jump: “John wasn’t that experienced with 2-wire systems but he was eager to learn about the technology. We created a ‘storybook’ with all the information about Rain Bird and Clesens and what we do for John and the leadership. Then we did our formal presentation and I felt like they knew that Rain Bird was the right choice.”

Looking back, Lesmeister is very pleased they’ve had two full seasons in the ground at North Oaks with zero real problems with the system.

Part of that success has been the Rain Bird pump station the club chose to complement the system. “The biggest thing that sets Rain Bird pumps apart from others is the ability to work directly through the irrigation central control,” says Lesmeister. “They talk to each other constantly and work together if there are any issues.” He describes that seamless interaction as a key distinction between the fully integrated Rain Bird irrigation system and those that rely on other pumps.

“The Smart Pump software is great because it fixes problems on the fly. The biggest thing is if the course blows an irrigation line in the middle of the night. Normally it would keep blowing until the morning. Now, with the Smart Pump software, it adjusts for the problem and lets you know right away that there’s an issue.”

It’s also much more energy-efficient. “Rain Bird has a very nice worksheet that shows the station’s savings, particularly on energy, because their golf course pumps are more efficient thanks to that seamless integration. You’re constantly using less energy.” Lesmeister estimates the club is saving as much as $10,000 annually just on electricity.

CirrusPRO central software also gives users a full golf course irrigation map at their fingertips. “The mapping is huge because they can walk directly to a specific head, turn it on or off, and adjust as necessary. Now the irrigation tech can make arc adjustments or other fixes exactly without having to go back to a computer or a satellite box.”

Lesmeister says the biggest thing Rain Bird and Clesens brought to the table was a customer-first attitude. “We had to work hard to make this happen and we tried to do everything we could to get them what they wanted. This was more than a sale…it was the beginning of a partnership that will last decades.”

Think through the entire installation and plan accordingly.

The team broke ground in August 2022 to install the new system and build new tees designed by Lehman. The project was largely completed that fall except for a little tidying up the following spring. They were able to stay open for play by closing one to three holes at a time to allow construction and golf to both continue. The installation was done by Minnesota’s Duininck Golf. “We had a great combination of folks working on this project and they all complemented each other well,” says Cameron.

He says waiting until the end to install the golf course pump station probably wasn’t optimal. “I would have done the pump station first due to the condition of our old one. We had to sink some money into that existing station to keep it running during construction because it was right on the edge.”

This was Cameron’s first experience with the Rain Bird pump station so he vetted it thoroughly before adding it to the mix. “I was a little hesitant because I hadn’t worked with their pump station before, but I asked around and was reassured to find others liked it and we had plenty of options for service.”

What’s it like to be “reservoir to rotor” with the Rain Bird irrigation system? “It’s seamless. The pump control panel communicates back to CirrusPRO, our central control. I can see what’s going on from our computer, my phone or tablet. The integration is really nice.”

Is it simple to manage the system? “It’s so easy to use from the phone. We don’t have any satellite controllers in the field anymore. It’s all phone and iPad now. I was so used to going to the controller to do anything but now I can’t imagine that. The programs are super easy to create. We use it every night for overnight scheduling and then we’ll add a quick one for watering in wetting agents just for tees or whatever we need to accomplish.”

Cameron says the watering capacity of the new station is much better. The mainline went from 8” to 14”. “Our water windows shortened dramatically. When we have wetting agent apps or throw apps, we have much more flexibility on when we can do them because it’s so fast.”