how does an irrigation pond on a golf course work

by Edward Cartwright 10 min read

A golf course irrigation system is relatively simple in concept. You've got a source of water and a storage tank or reservoir with a pump, which is going to pressurize a network of pipes. At the end of those pipes, you have sprinklers that are going to apply the water.

Part of a video titled Watering The Golf Course: From Source to Sprinkler - YouTube
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Once the water is on site the pump system sends water through a network of underground. Pipes. SoMoreOnce the water is on site the pump system sends water through a network of underground. Pipes. So that it can be delivered by sprinklers or hoses to where it is needed on the course.

Full Answer

How do golf courses irrigate their ponds?

Mar 03, 2021 · The Perfect Time for Golf Course Irrigation. You’ll find that most superintendents irrigate the golf course early in the morning before the sun comes up. As the day gets later, the rising sun heats leftover water and evaporates it before it can be absorbed. The wind flow also increases, hampering the uniformity of the water through sprinklers.

How do golf courses irrigation systems work?

Sep 15, 2021 · Weather Stations: Golf courses often have their own onsite weather stations that provide real-time evapotranspiration data to the golf irrigation control system. The control system automatically adjusts the sprinkler run times based on its inputs, including intelligent differentiation of the watering patterns for different areas, such as the greens, fairway, tee or …

What is the difference between landscape irrigation and Golf irrigation?

Feb 20, 2015 · Golf course irrigation systems can be supplied water from many different sources, including potable, effluent, surface (ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams), and groundwater. According to GCSAA, golf course water sources break down as follows: Surface: 52%. Groundwater (Wells): 46%. Potable (Municipal): 14%.

What is the pressure of irrigation on a golf course?

Jul 10, 2015 · The basic components of a golf irrigation system include: water source (man made lake or pond) pump station; water distribution pumps & valves; control valves (fuels the automatic irrigation systems, which are either satellite based or stand-alone, releases water into valves) control lines (funnels delivery of water into sprinklers)

How does a golf course irrigation system work?

You'll find that most superintendents irrigate the golf course early in the morning before the sun comes up. As the day gets later, the rising sun heats leftover water and evaporates it before it can be absorbed. The wind flow also increases, hampering the uniformity of the water through sprinklers.Mar 3, 2021

How does an irrigation pond work?

Normally an irrigation system is tied to an outdoor faucet, your home's water supply line or a brown water valve. Drawing water from a pond for irrigation involves incorporating a pump to pull the water from the pond and a means of directing the water to where you need it.

How long do irrigation systems typically last on golf courses?

The life expectancy of a typical irrigation system varies from 10 to 30 years, depending on the geographic location of the course and the demands on the system. Good preventive maintenance can extend a system's longevity, but sooner or later, your irrigation will need to be renovated or replaced.

Why do they have ponds on golf course?

Many golf courses use their ponds as water retention devices that the irrigation system pulls from nightly. If it weren't for the ponds, the water bill of a single golf course could easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of 12 short months.Nov 30, 2018

How deep is an irrigation pond?

A good place to start is with ten acre-feet of irrigation water. For a pond to provide this volume, you will need two acres of land and an average pond depth of seven feet. A pond of this depth and size will also account for any potential losses due to evaporation.

How do you pump water out of a lake for irrigation?

A: An irrigation pump station draws the water out through pipes which run from the lake under the ground. It's pressurized and filtered if required, and then the lake water is dispersed through your sprinklers.Dec 19, 2019

How long does irrigation tubing last?

Under normal circumstances supply tubing can last up to 8 years. What is the difference between supply and emitter tubing? Supply tubing is used throughout your system and is used to carry water from one point to another.

How long does PVC irrigation system last?

10 – 30 years
Figure 1. Expected Life Cycle of Irrigation System Components*
ItemYears
Irrigation system10 – 30 years
Irrigation control system10 – 15 years
PVC pipe (under pressure)10 – 30 years
Pump station15 – 20 years
Mar 2, 2015

How long does irrigation system last?

The Life Expectancy of an Irrigation System

While different parts of your system may need replacing throughout its life, you can expect the average sprinkler system to last for upwards of 20 years. During that time, you'll likely need to replace your sprinkler heads around the 10-year mark if using high-quality heads.
Sep 13, 2021

How deep are ponds on golf course?

Golf balls are retrieved from water hazards on courses all over the world, and while the water depth is rarely more than 40 feet -- and usually less than half that -- divers can easily become disoriented or overly weighted down by the reclaimed balls and equipment.Jul 4, 2002

How do golf courses keep their ponds clean?

A dredge for golf course ponds is the basis for dredging. The machine works by pumping the water and sludge out through a submersible pump and into a series of bladder bags or dewatering tubes. These bags have minuscule holes, which let the water escape but keep the muck inside.

How deep should a golf course pond be?

Even if a pond is only to serve as a hazard or design feature, eight to 10 feet should be the minimum depth considered. Failure to provide this depth will increase weed control costs, if not create a permanent eyesore. Evaporation losses are also reduced in deep ponds.

Golf Course Pond Problems

Golf course ponds are not immune to problems that plague every other pond around; and unfortunately, the aesthetics of a golf course pond are scrutinized more so than most. Irrigation ponds are held to an even higher standard than other ponds on a golf course, because they play a crucial role in the management of a course.

How to Treat Your Golf Course Pond

When an irrigation pond is placed on a routine maintenance schedule, weeds and algae can be treated preventatively, so as not to cause equipment issues or degrade the aesthetics of the pond. Most irrigation ponds have electricity nearby, so a fountain could be added to improve water quality and add beauty to the setting.

Contact AEC for Your Pond Health

Many superintendents will ask us about irrigating restrictions during the summer months when we are treating the water. Depending on the product that needs to be used for treating, there could be an irrigation restriction.

Aesthetics and Playability

In the earliest stages of a project, go through all the possibilities for pond locations. When selecting the position for ponds, look for low-lying or flatter portions of the property. Doing so will maximize the benefit of gravity-flow to drainage systems and minimize the expense of excavation.

Irrigation

It is common for at least one of the lakes or ponds on a course to act as a reservoir for the irrigation system. Due to this, the construction and positioning will have special requirements.

Drainage

By placing the lake or pond in the lowest elevation, you maximize the amount of drainage that can reach it. Therefore, you are capturing and recycling as much rainfall as possible. With drainage comes risk of water quality.

Safety

Once we have the lakes positioned, our focus turns to the specifics of their design and construction. Among our major concerns are water tightness, water quality and, perhaps most importantly, safety.

Water quality

Water quality is also a major concern, and Rick McGuire of Waterscapers reports that it is in large part related to the quantity of oxygen and nutrients in the lake.

Water conservation

As water becomes a more precious commodity, its conservation will become an increasingly important issue as well. To conserve water in golf course lakes, it’s typical to line them with an impervious membrane to prevent leaking. PVC liners have been the material of choice for the lake industry.

Do golf courses have irrigation?

Many golf courses also have landscape systems for irrigation of areas around the clubhouse, pool, tennis courts, and entrance areas. These systems may or may not be on the same water source as the golf course. Many times, the landscape irrigation may be on a potable source and the golf course irrigation system on a different type of water supply.

How efficient is golf course irrigation?

Golf course irrigation systems are normally in the 80% efficiency range, the highest achievable efficiency with overhead irrigation. The general public looks at the large green expanse of a golf course and the amount of water it uses and assumes that the golf course is wasting water.

How much water does a golf course use?

In the Southwest, courses use on average 1,303,392 gallons per year per acre, while an 18-hole course in the Northeast uses only 260,678 gallons of water per acre annually. Golf course irrigation systems can be supplied water from many different sources, including potable, effluent, surface (ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams), and groundwater.

How many sprinklers does a golf course need?

Irrigation sprinklers used for golf courses are much different than sprinklers used for landscape irrigation. A golf course can have between 500 and 5,000 sprinklers, or even more installed throughout an 18-hole facility.

Why use effluent water for irrigation?

There are many advantages to using effluent water to irrigate, including lower supply costs and reduced fertilizer and nutrient use. The downside is that the salts associated with the effluent water need to be carefully managed to prevent damage, as many turf species are susceptible to high salt concentrations.

Why is irrigation important in golf?

Golf course irrigation is important for the golfer because it can affect play on the fairway & on the greens. If the ponds are filled with organic matter (leaves, river water, sticks/branches) it affects water quality & can affect a golfer’s shot, either in the long game in the fairway or the putting game on the greens.

Do golf courses need irrigation?

Many times, golf courses are over-irrigated & while there isn’t a perfect irrigation system, many operators (especially at PGA Tour courses) feel pressure to have lush, fast greens at all times. Irrigation should take place on a need basis by checking soil moisture levels, cloud cover, rain in the next 10 days, & water status.

What is the key to a good golf course?

For anyone who plays golf leisurely or for serious competition, it is widely known that one of the keys to a great golf course & great round of golf is proper golf course irrigation.

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Aesthetics and Playability

Irrigation

  • It is common for at least one of the lakes or ponds on a course to act as a reservoir for the irrigation system. Due to this, the construction and positioning will have special requirements. First, maximize the size of the lake to enhance its storage capacity. The bigger the better because the water is an emergency storage for your course. Keep in ...
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Drainage

  • By placing the lake or pond in the lowest elevation, you maximize the amount of drainage that can reach it. Therefore, you are capturing and recycling as much rainfall as possible. With drainage comes risk of water quality. Despite superintendents’ excellent safety record with water quality, contamination due to fertilizer, pesticides, and other chemicals, are a threat. This is such a conc…
See more on wolfcreekcompany.com

Safety

  • Once we have the lakes positioned, our focus turns to the specifics of their design and construction. Among our major concerns are water tightness, water quality and, perhaps most importantly, safety. Golf course ponds are often referred to as “attractive nuisances” for the simple reason that they may lure people to a potentially dangerous situation. Accordingly, we m…
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Water Quality

  • Water quality is also a major concern, and Rick McGuire of Waterscapers reports that it is in large part related to the quantity of oxygen and nutrients in the lake. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are food for algae and, consequently, their presence in large quantities almost ensures the algae blooms that superintendents frequently battle. Our strategy for controlling th…
See more on wolfcreekcompany.com

Water Conservation

  • As water becomes a more precious commodity, its conservation will become an increasingly important issue as well. To conserve water in golf course lakes, it’s typical to line them with an impervious membrane to prevent leaking. PVC liners have been the material of choice for the lake industry. This material is relatively inexpensive, easy to install, durable and has a proven track re…
See more on wolfcreekcompany.com