Next, we have the typical golf course irrigation system consisting of field controllers or decoders/two-wire system operated by a computerized central control system, which may include a handheld remote control for field operation and a weather station for providing relative ET values.
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Feb 20, 2015 · 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.
Dec 01, 2021 · Valve-in-Head Rotors. Each emitter in a golf course irrigation system should be a valve-in-head (VIH) rotor, meaning each head acts as its own valve. These emitters will have a sizable radius and will provide an ample amount of flow for a golf course's water needs.
Feb 15, 2011 · Next, we have the typical golf course irrigation system consisting of field controllers or decoders/two-wire system operated by a computerized central control system, which may include a handheld remote control for field operation and a weather station for providing relative ET values.
Mar 03, 2021 · The average 18-hole golf course pumps 2,000 gallons of water a minute. That means your water bill at the golf course is probably a little more than your one at home (hopefully). Every course is different and will require a unique approach, but here are some of the main components seen in golf course irrigation systems. Lakes, Canals, Ponds, etc.
water is lost due to evaporation. inconvenience to golfers who have to play during the afternoon. higher algae levels. leaves & soil have higher chances of infection. The most important element of golf course irrigation is operation of the system.
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.
control valves (fuels the automatic irrigation systems, which are either satellite based or stand-alone, releases water into valves)
9. Automatic irrigation system Is essentially fixed sprinklers automatically activated by control valves at times preset on a controller. The times may be from beginning to finish – full automatic Or beginning is manual activated and ending is at times preset. Maybe centrally controlled Or on a few ‘satellites’ which are ‘stand-alone’
12. Control Valves Valves – to release water either into lines or into valves. Manually open or closing Or remotely by Hydraulic switches Electrically operated solenoid Three important places At distribution lines At sprinklers At pump station
Low sprinklers or ones not set level to grade are a typical problem and are often the reasons a course may have wet and dry areas. Over time, the settling of the soils under and around sprinklers does change. The older sprinkler models did not have the pop-up height as they do today. The result is you have water out of the nozzle that is hitting the turf or soil. If the sprinkler is not level the radius of throw will be higher on one side and lower on the other, thereby affecting the D.U.
Low pressure on certain areas or the entire course is a big factor and a problem that leads to wet and dry patterns. Main line pressure testing is something we recommend at every golf course. Typically, pressure and flow is easy to see at the pump station or remotely if your course has the pump software resident in the central. If pressure is low at the station the problem can usually be rectified by replacing the faulty component at the station. Testing at high and low elevations across the course is the next step if pressure at the pump station is “normal”.
A nozzle or base filter clogged by a small rock or foreign debris can cause problems. When this is seen on multiple sprinklers you should look at the filtration system at the pump station to ensure it is working properly. The other source could be a problem with the intake line that runs from the water source into the pump station. If there is hole in the intake, algae or pond weeds could be finding its’ way into the system. Several of our clients have a diver that cleans all intakes on an annual basis. If you can eliminate these factors as a cause, then evaluate the repair process of the irrigator when an irrigation component needs repair. We have seen cases where the irrigator did not flush out debris following a lateral or main line break. If flushing is not thorough or not performed at all, it can result in rocks and debris getting stuck in the hydraulics and ending up in the filters or nozzles.
In the “olden days” of irrigation design it was not uncommon to size a lateral PVC line from 1.5” at the electric valve, then down to 1 ¼ after the first or second head and then down to 1” at the last head or two. This was done to save money on pipe and fittings but repairing these requires the irrigator to stock and carry an array of different sized parts. Downsizing pipe is not a big problem for the courses with individual sprinkler control. But for a course with a “block” system it can have a negative effect on pressure. This is due to the fact that if all 3-4 sprinklers activate at the same time, the flow and pressure loss can exceed what is recommended for that small of a pipe. We had one client with this exact problem and they asked us to do some testing in order to see if the downsizing of the pipe was the problem for the wet and dry patterns. The sprinkler closest to the electric valve had good pressure at 75PSI. Pressure for the second, third and fourth (last head) on the lateral gradually declined and was at 47PSI on the last head. After capping the first head, the pressure on the last head went up to 60PSI. After capping two heads, the pressure on the last head increased to 70PSI. These simple tests proved that the pipe sizing was to blame for the low pressure and wet and dry patterns. There are various solutions to this problem. Some can be quite costly but have huge benefits and some are not worth the time and money depending upon the age and condition of the irrigation system.
Without performing an inventory audit which entails turning on every sprinkler and checking for problems, some of these leaking sprinklers can go for months and years without being detected.
Many courses over time have changed the nozzles or sprinklers on the course. These changes typically result in higher flows out of the nozzles. This alone is not a problem but if the database was never changed to reflect the field changes, low pressures and other problems do lead to wet and dry patterns.
Sprinklers with built in pressure regulation can and do fail over time. If they are failing and the result is low pressure, the gallons, profile and radius of throw is greatly affected. Failure on the high side can lead to a larger radius of throw and in some cases misting out of the nozzles. There is an allowable variance in regulation from all the sprinkler companies and it is a good idea to know what that variance is. For the courses with pressure regulating valves (PRV) on the main line, it is recommended that they be serviced or at least evaluated whenever the pump station is serviced. During one audit we discovered a PRV that the new Superintendent did not even know was on the golf course. It had been buried and not working properly for an unknown number of years. That same PRV that should have been regulating pressure down to 90PSI had a downstream pressure of 160PSI. The high pressure caused the failure of numerous pressure regulators at the sprinklers. On many of these sprinklers that were regulated to 65PSI, we measured up to 110PSI out of the nozzles