Finishing Touches

     This last week we were able to finish a couple final steps to a project we started a few months back. The project I am referring to is the new posts and cable that now runs down the entire 4th hole.

The cable and posts on #4

     What you don't see in the photo above are the irrigation wires we put and run the entire length of #4 underneath the posts and cable. We also trenched a few wires back up towards #3 green. We added these new wires for some future irrigation projects.
     The first of those projects was the addition of a sprinkler behind #4 green. Because of some improper spacing between some of the surrounds sprinkler heads we need to fill in a gap on the back left slope. Here's Hung trenching for the new pipe. As with most of our sprinkler additions this winter this should really help us keep turf healthier and much better looking than the last couple of summers.

Hung handling the trencher

     One of the final steps to the larger project was to experiment with some underground drip tubing around the fairway bunker. After seeing this done at another course in our area I have been very eager to try it out at our course. This past fall we were fortunate to purchase a new sod cutter which also came with a "mole kit" attachment that can be used to pull wires and drip tubing. Here it is with the drip tubing attached.

The "mole kit" with drip tubing

     We chose the fairway bunker on #4 for our trial run because it was fairly flat all around the bunker. First we installed a 1" electric valve and hooked it up to one of the wires we ran under the posts and cable. Next we painted a line about 14" from the edge of the bunker to run our first line. After a little trial and error we finally made it around the bunker twice (the second line about 14" from the first)and Hung got everything hooked up to the valve. Now it's time to see how long and often we need to run it throughout the summer. If it works out well we will probably try to do the same thing to a few more of our problem bunkers in the coming year.

Enrique and Hung finishing up the last stretch

Success! There's water coming out!

     We also experimented pulling some irrigation wires with the new trencher and mole kit in front of #3 green. It worked really well and helped us finally get some wires to some sprinklers we added last summer. Now we should have better control now that we can run these sprinklers from our irrigation computer.

The mole kit with wires

Our first run with wires

New sprinklers running off the irrigation clock

Hung is always smiling

New sprinkler @ #9 Approach

This spring we have added quite a few sprinklers throughout the course. Our latest addiction has been installed in the approach of #9 green. We have always seemed to have struggled with keeping the turf healthy in the beginning of the approach, infront of the left green side bunker and in the area between the right green side bunker and the cart path. So we decided that a new sprinkler here would be our next addition and hopefully with a little more water on a consistent basis we will achieve some better results. As of right now the sprinkler will be have to be run manually until we get a station wire hooked up to it in the near future.

Hung and Tom connecting the pipe

Hung re-setting the greens sprinklers

We've got water!!!

- Posted by Austin Daniells, Golf Course Superintendent

Adding To The Irrigation System

One of the areas we have focused on improving this winter has been our irrigation coverage in some crucial areas throughout the course. Most of these new sprinklers we have added are in areas we have struggled throughout the last few summers since our irrigation system was installed. Every fall Tom, Hung and I sit down and talk about the summer irrigation season and make decisions on where we could make adjustments or additions that would help us better manage our turf for the following summer. Even though our irrigation system is fairly new, it has definitely shown some weaknesses and these new sprinklers should really help fill in the gaps.  

New sprinkler behind #14 green

New sprinkler along road by #2 fairway

New sprinkler behind #2 green

New sprinkler between #3 green and #4 tee

New sprinkler behind #8 tee

New sprinklers down the left rough of #1

Jake and Hung adding new pipe for sprinkler behind #14 green

Digging to China!

     Ok, the guys are not really digging a tunnel to China. On Wednesday when Jose was mowing the lawns around the clubhouse he came across a section of the lawn that was very saturated. Come to find out after digging a very deep hole, it turns out that an old connection had a small leak and must have been leaking for quite some time. So after a little more digging to expose more of the pipe Hung jumped in and fixed the pipe. He also took the opportunity to install a quick coupler for future use so that we can spot water this section of lawn without having to run hose across the walkways around the clubhouse.

Jose and Enrique removing the dirt

Jose supervising



Hung gluing the pipe



      The water should be turned back on Friday and the hole back filled on Friday as well.

New Sprinkler (#17 left rough)

     This last week our team worked hard to get a new sprinkler added in the rough between holes #16 & #17. We determined that the spacing between the existing sprinklers was just too far and wasn't providing enough coverage. This new head should help us with the turf in the rough as well as the fairway.



We will be finishing up with some final touches this week by putting down some seed and mulch on the trench and hooking up the wires to the irrigation clock.

Driving Range Changes

    Most of you probably would have never noticed but we are currently in the process of removing some of the turf in the outer lying areas of the driving range. Our main reason for this is so that we can install part-circle sprinklers around the driving range so that we are only watering the turf and not the fence down the right side or the net in the back. I don't believe that this will have any negative impact to the way the range looks or performs. Hopefully this will save a little water that can be used for more in-play areas out on the course. Here's a few pictures that show where we sprayed round-up to create a new turf line up the right side.





Irrigation Project: #10 Lake Bank (Update)

    We were able to finish this project about a 10 days ago and I forgot to update and show the finished product. We are really pleased with the way everything turned out and can't wait to see how it handles the heat of the summer. My staff really did a top notch job throughout the entire project. Here's the pictures of the finished product.

#10 Green looking back

Hung and Enrique putting sod back

Flushing out the new lines

Checking heads for any issues

The final product. Isn't it beautiful!!!

Irigation Project: #10 Lake Bank

    On Monday of this week we started on an irrigation project that will encompass the entire lake bank on #10 from the pump house to the back side of the green. We have been fighting dry areas along this bank since day one. The irrigation system is pretty good in this area but due to the severity of the slope and the fact that it faces south has caused us many headaches with trying to keep the turf healthy and supplied with good moisture.
     About a month ago, my assistant Tom mapped out the area and did a little research on the best solution for this area. What he came up with was to divide the area into three valves (sections) and place a special Rainbird nozzle on 4" pop-up type sprinklers that provided a larger droplet of water to help with drift. The entire length of the project is 500ft and includes 34 sprinklers. Last week our irrigation tech Hung and Tom installed the three valves and prepped for trenching.
     We hope that this project provides a better a better visual appeal to the course as well as better conditions in this area. Maybe we can get the turf to become healthier and keep some balls from rolling into the lake? It will definitely help Hung in his irrigation duties as he was constantly having to drag hoses and emitters in this area throughout our growing season.



Prepping for the valves




Valves after installation









Tom, Scott & Hung Trenching



Everybody Hold On!

That's 500 ft of trenching and nobody fell in the lake!

Adding to the irrigation system

     The irrigation system on a golf course is one of the most important parts of the golf course. Starting with the pump station and the main lines down to the sprinkler heads and the drip lines around the pro shop, all of these components play a vital role in getting the water we have to all areas of the course in an efficient and accurate manner.
     Over the last few weeks we have been adding new sprinkler heads in various parts of the course to help maintain our turf throughout the year. This last summer my assistant and irrigation tech began our plan to add or move sprinklers in higher profile areas throughout the course. We have added one new sprinkler between #1 and #18 fairways as well as a valve to control some small pop-up type sprinklers along the cypress trees along the left rough of #1. The previous week we had added two part-circle sprinkler along the left side of the cart path at #18 green to help with the south facing slope between #18 green and the putting green. Even though the irrigation system is rather new, it constantly takes a little bit of tweaking and adding to help maintain the turf for good playing conditions.


New part-circles along cart path @ #18



New sprinklers after installation

New sprinklers to the right of #2 tee



New tee and pipe to sprinklers/valve in #1/#18 rough

New pop-ups in #1 rough



New sprinkler between #1 & #18 rough


   As move move through the next couple of months we will continue to tweak things before the summer. Our next irrigation project is going to be along the lake on #10. More info and pics to follow.