Golf
“Gone are the days when quantities of unmentionable chemicals raped the soil fauna and microorganisms, leaving the rootzone inert”
term, rather medium or even long term, changing and influencing the composition of the sward towards a greater tolerance to drought resistance and salt tolerance could be achieved by gradual overseeding with new and developing cultivars.
A look at all these factors and more can have, albeit small, a significant influence on the conservation of water supplies. Turning our attention to the application of water and the irrigation system, much can still be achieved by checking the system thoroughly during the off season. Do the pop-up sprinklers actually pop-up, are they rotating, have any been damaged by winter aeration procedures, is the spacing of the sprinkler heads correct and do the pop-ups have the correct nozzles to provide adequate head to head coverage. Simple measures, but you would be amazed how often these common problems occur. Poor spacing of sprinkler heads is
perhaps the commonest problem. Without head to head contact, accurate distribution of water is not possible. Poor spacing may be the fault of the initial installation, or may be the fact that the green shape, over time, has
changed. Arc settings should be studied and checked annually, as should the actual water pressure at the sprinkler head. This information can lead to the discovery of leaks within the system or the change of nozzles to achieve the desired outcome. When the system is a block design,
as experienced often with the traditional design of tees and greens, then each pair of sprinklers will deliver water for the same length of time. Where there has been an on-site modification to allow, for example, aprons to be irrigated, both sprinkler arcs must be the same, for if one is full circle and the other part circle, the full circle will be delivering 50% less water than the part circle in any given time. In the medium term, and each of the rather arbitrary terms will overlap, we must look at education and training. As irrigation is often said to be ‘out of sight out of mind’, at least one member of staff should be fully trained in the management of the said system. After all, a new system will, arguably, be the most costly piece of equipment in which a club will invest. When a new system is installed, a full training course is offered on the operation and management of the hardware. This is
essential as, on returning to previous sites, so often, the system is set up in the way it was on the first day, with little regard for current environmental conditions. Trained staff should be able to calculate sprinkler run times to coincide with the desired application rate, and operate the system to its full potential. Courses on this are held each year as Workshops for CPD at BTME.
But, it is not just the greenstaff who should appreciate the need for knowledge regarding the use of water. The membership of the club should also be aware of the dangers of over irrigating. With the intervention of CAMS and
the Water Framework Directive, water usage in the future is fast becoming a political issue, and indiscriminative water usage will be a thing of the past. Water audits and the justification for the continued use of potable water will become yet another chore for the Course Manager. Proper accountability, the maintenance of records of water usage and the justification for that usage is unquestionably on the way. In the long term, modern technology must be employed to save the day. Club committees should decide on
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