 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Golf course Superintendents irrigate their courses just about every day,
depending on the weather. According to one superintendent, "an irrigation
system can make or break a golf course.". The amounts vary greatly
due to an array of factors such as solar radiation, humidity, the grass
species as well as the rate of growth, and overall course maintenance
and status. Irrigating with such regularity and frequency encourages shallow
rooting of the turf grasses, and may predispose the lawn to increased
disease as well as cause it to become more susceptible to stress.[34]
However, to maintain the fast, green courses that golfers demand
today, superintendents are often left feeling like they have no choice
but to keep the sprinklers pumping.
There are; however, a variety of ways to irrigate a golf course, or any
body of turf, and some of these techniques work better than others. According
the research at the URI
Landscape and Horticulture Program, the best time to irrigate is very
early in the morning, before the dew has dried. According to the research
this provides for the most efficient use of water because there is a low
evaporation rate, and watering at this time does not contribute to disease
pressure. According to my data, two courses began irrigating before 10pm,
and four courses continued to irrigate after 6am. The two courses that
began irrigating before 10 at night said their antiquated irrigation systems
required them to do so; and if they started any later the entire course
would not be watered.
Timing
Irrigation timing is tremendously important. Applying water at the wrong
time of day can result in a burnt green, or a disease ridden fairway.
According to research conducted at URI, "midday watering cools the
turf and reduces heat stress on hot summer days. However, midday watering
is also relatively inefficient due to substantial evaporation losses.
Night watering may incite or aggravate disease problems. Recent research
has shown that prolonged leaf wetness increases, or benefits disease.
Night irrigation helps to conserve water due to the decrease in evaporation
loss. However, it should be avoided when disease is present."[39]
The irrigation system that is used can have a big impact on how much
water is "wasted" or is used but not needed. Irrigation systems
are controlled in a number of different ways. They can be controlled manually,
or by a central computer. The individual sprinkler heads can be controlled
on a block system, individually, or both. The block system requires all
the sprinkler heads, within a specified block, usually a green or fairway,
to be turned on at once and they cannot be individually controlled, where
as a system that has individual control over the sprinkler heads can adjust
each seperate sprinkler head to account for factors such as shade, sun,
and moisture content of the soil.
Out of twenty golf courses, nine courses used individual controls, nine
block controls, and two were able to use both. Some of the block systems
were capable of being controlled individually, but the superintendents
had programmed the sprinkler heads to all turn on at once. The reasoning
behind this was it saved time, and was easier.
 |
 |
| Irrigation systems with sprinkler heads that are controlled on a block system tend to use slightly more water than irrigation systems with sprinkler heads that are controlled on either an individual basis, or where the control groups are combined. The block system, on average, uses 800 gallons of water per acre per day more than the individually controlled systems. This data shows that individually controlled sprinkler heads use less water, on average, than sprinkler heads that are controlled on a block system. For a display of the raw irrigation data click here. The graph below displays the range or water output for each type of sprinkler head-control. It can be seen that the range is about the same between the individual and the block controls, however the individual had a slightly higher outlier along with a greater average of overall water use. | |
 |
|