The first Rain Bird® IC System™ to be installed in Turkey has already proved invaluable during the grow in of the new 18-hole course at the Regnum Ankara Golf & Country Club. Designed by Tim Lobb MEIGCA and set in 200 hectares of rolling terrain, the member’s course is set to provide breathtaking vistas of the surrounding mountain ranges and the capital city.
Following a competitive tender, the Regnum Group selected Rain Bird Turkey as its irrigation partner and the Rain Bird IC System™ for its industry-leading water efficiency and diagnostic and control capabilities.
“The IC System™ has numerous advantages. It gives the course manager the ability to control each individual sprinkler and to monitor and manage every aspect of their system remotely on a phone or tablet. Its diagnostics also rapidly identify any issues out on the course, which saves a lot of time. Anyone who sees the IC System™ working agrees that its cutting-edge technology is the future of golf course irrigation – for efficiency, sustainability and ease of use.”
— Roger Davey, Irritech
Selected by a wide range of venues
Superintendent Ufuk Dinçer on one of the greens
The venue will benefit from a Nimbus II™ Central Control, a total of 1,750 rotors, a WS Pro LT weather station with direct connection, and a powerful pump station with a duty of 420m3 of water per hour at 10.5 bar of pressure.
Rain Bird Turkey is the solution provider for turnkey golf course projects in the territory, not only as a manufacturer of state-of-the-art irrigation systems, but also for its expertise in installation, set-up for optimal efficiency, and for its commitment to providing customers with excellent support for the long-term. It has been selected by a wide range of venues since 2007, including the Maxx Royal, Kusadasi International, Bodrum Golf and Tennis Club, Titanic Golf Course, Carya Golf Club, Cornelia Golf Club, Silkar Lykia World Golf Links, Kaya Palazzo Golf Club, the Regnum Golf & Country Club Bodrum, and the additional 9 holes at the National Golf Club.
A wealth of experience
Aerial view during grow-in, Regnum Ankara
Speaking about the project, Tim Lobb said: “I have been fortunate enough to design and open four courses in Turkey over the past 20 years. On all projects Rain Bird was selected as the irrigation supplier. They bring a wealth of experience to the region and each individual project in Turkey. We have been working with many of the same people during this period which gives a consistency of performance across all projects.
Ankara is the third full golf course that we have designed for the Regnum group and the first full 18-hole course in Ankara. We have designed the course to work with the contours and it offers many long views of the countryside. The hole strategies use the existing contours as much as possible with well undulated greens to putt on.
In terms of water management and environmental challenges, our site is quite elevated with a lot of contour across it. In fact, there is 72m of elevation difference from top to bottom, so pumping water around is quite a challenge. The climate is quite interesting as there is a large change in temperatures throughout the year from snow in winter to very hot and dry summers with temperatures in the high 30s. As the landscape is quite barren we have used fescue grasses in the rough to add some texture to the golfing palette. We hope that the course will be an enjoyable and fun golfing experience when it opens in late spring.”