With the golf course and landscape industries under increased scrutiny regarding irrigation, advancements in irrigation technology and system design should be on superintendents’ radar screens. That was of the key messages expert speakers conveyed during Toro Irrigation’s Success Without Excess III WaterSmart Symposium, which took place late last month.
Brian Vinchesi, president of Irrigation Consulting, and chairman of the Irrigation Association’s Smart Water Application Technology Committee, discussed how a properly designed irrigation system can reduce golf course water use. “Spacing of the sprinklers dramatically affects the irrigation coverage and uniformity,” Vinchesi said. “Believe it or not, the more sprinklers there are in the system, the less water will be used.”
In addition to addressing sprinkler spacing issues, Vinchesi said operating pressure of the system and the nozzles used also influence the system's uniformity. The proper combination can provide for even watering; the wrong setup will waste water by creating wet and dry spots.
“Water efficiency is a combination of proper design, installation upgraded and well-maintained components and good management,” Vinchesi says. “New technologies and alternative water sources should always be investigated. In order to have efficient irrigation systems, they need to be regularly serviced and updated.”
Michael Hurdzan, Ph.D., ASCGA, of Hurdzan/Fry Environmental Golf Course Design also spoke, honing in on the synergies needed between technology and people to create the course conditions golfers demand.
The synergy Hurdzan describes includes well-adapted grasses, a quality water source that matches the grasses, an upgraded delivery and drainage system and smart management of irrigation resources. It also includes proper selection of turf cultivars, detailed measuring, monitoring and record-keeping, science-based rootzone modification and zonal maintenance using Best Management Practices (BMP). And, it includes the combined talents of golf course superintendents, drainage experts, irrigation designers, agronomists and product representatives.
“Properly designed, built and operated golf courses should be seen as a community environmental asset, not a liability,” Hurdzan said. “Golf course vegetation provides so many benefits for all community residents, including oxygen production, carbon sequestering and a habitat sanctuary, in addition to healthy, outdoor recreation and employment.”
For more information on the presentations from the Toro WaterSmart Symposium, visit www.torowatersmart.com.
