Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, N.C., installed UgMO sensors on four greens in June.
Superintendent Sam Green said listening to Gary Player talk about the technology at a special Golf Industry Show preview event in February persuaded him to make the UgMO move.
Green grows bentgrass in hot and humid conditions. The soil there reaches 90 to 100 degrees during the day, and generally drops into the 70s at night, which is essential for the plant to recover. But as the UgMO sensors have shown, when the soil is wet, it doesn't cool nearly as much at night.
"For us, less water means less disease,” Green sais. “With UgMO's smart sensors in play, we know exactly when and how much to water, based on soil temperature readings. We're equipped to keep surfaces firm without stressing the greens."
In a state where water is a commodity -- North Carolina requires water usage records to be turned in annually -- Green predicts the UgMO technology will soon come into critical demand.
"In two months, we're already seeing strong results in terms of improved turf health and water savings,” he says. “We're hoping to install sensors on another five or six greens soon."
