Irrigation Patterns & Schedules

The design of our irrigation system is much like that of other clubs. We have a triple row system with one row down the middle of the fairways and a row of heads along the outsides of the fairways. All of the heads rotate 360 degrees. For this reason, when we have to water the roughs when they are wilting, we also are forced to water the outside edges of the fairways. While we do a significant amount of hand watering the isolated dry areas of the fairways, there are periods when we must irrigate the entire course. Our goal is to have the fairways as dry as possible without risking turf damage and death. The photo below exhibits our staff hand watering the isolated dry and wilting spots in the fairways. This is time consuming and labor intensive but it helps us keep the majority of the fairways as dry as possible.  During periods of 90 degree and higher temperatures and low humidity then proper irrigation practices are paramount to turf quality, health and survival

Below employees are hand watering areas of the fairways that are wilting.  This approach allows us to put water exactly where it is needed without over watering areas that are not as dry and wilting.

The staff hand waters the green side grass bunker faces to prevent dessication, wilt and death to the turf.  We utilize the hand watering so that we do not turn on the overhead irrigation and water areas
that are not stressed.  This approach promotes firmer and faster greens surfaces.

While allowing the bluegrass roughs to go brown and dry and going semi-dormant, withholding water from the wilting bentgrass fairways results in DEAD BENTGRASS as is evidenced below.