A number of factors and ongoing issues prompted management to pursue an analysis and possible replacement of the golf course irrigation system. In summary, the current system is old, failing and outdated from a technology perspective. After consideration of four consultants, Brays Island Tony Altum of AS Altum & Associates in March 2009 to complete an evaluation of the system. (Click here to view the evaluation) Their assessment confirmed many facts about the system as well as exposed some new ones.
The existing irrigation system was installed in 1988 and is controlled by hydraulic pressure. The antiquated hydraulic control system presents a number of issues including lack of dependability, high maintenance requirement and poor overall control. For example, when a failure occurs in a hydraulic system, the sprinkler heads become stuck in the “on” position. In other words, when a problem arises sprinklers begin to throw water until the issue is resolved. Obviously, this can be a significant issue, especially in the middle of the night.
Once a problem is identified it is repaired as quickly as possible however in order to pressure down a problem area, the entire system must be shut down. This is due to the limited number of isolation valves on the system and many of those that are there have failed. Problems are compounded when the system is re-pressurized and water hammer occurs which causes new leaks which will again require the system be shut down for repair. This cycle has increased in frequency over the past few years and was nearly continuous through the 2010 summer season.
The existing irrigation system was installed in 1988 and is controlled by hydraulic pressure. The antiquated hydraulic control system presents a number of issues including lack of dependability, high maintenance requirement and poor overall control. For example, when a failure occurs in a hydraulic system, the sprinkler heads become stuck in the “on” position. In other words, when a problem arises sprinklers begin to throw water until the issue is resolved. Obviously, this can be a significant issue, especially in the middle of the night.
Once a problem is identified it is repaired as quickly as possible however in order to pressure down a problem area, the entire system must be shut down. This is due to the limited number of isolation valves on the system and many of those that are there have failed. Problems are compounded when the system is re-pressurized and water hammer occurs which causes new leaks which will again require the system be shut down for repair. This cycle has increased in frequency over the past few years and was nearly continuous through the 2010 summer season.
Another issue with the current system is that the greens are watered with a single set of full-circle sprinklers. This creates a problem in managing the greens versus the green surrounds. Both areas have different water needs. Because of this, the water requirement of both areas cannot be managed properly without sacrificing the quality of the other. Most often the green surrounds are under irrigated in order to not over irrigate the green surface.
On many holes, the spacing between sprinklers and their position are not optimal. As a result of this poor uniformity in the distribution of water, there are many “dry” areas which do not receive enough water and “wet” areas that receive too much. Furthermore, there is limited control of individual sprinklers which means there can be wet and dry areas side-by-side with little opportunity to pinpoint specific sprinklers for adjustment. The current placement of the sprinklers also creates problems in the cordgrass and other native areas. Water in these areas is being wasted in turn, contributing to unsightly weed populations.
Given the age of the system, the frequency of failures has increased which has increased repair and maintenance costs. In some cases, these failures have impacted course condition which is of great concern. It is the possibility of catastrophic failures that pose the greatest risk to the golf course. Should a major failure occur at an inopportune time, the impact to course conditions and playability may be long lasting. For example, should the system fail during the germination phase of fall overseeding, it is possible that the young plants could be lost, requiring the course to be reseeded. Another concern is the periodic application of pesticides and fertilizers. Oftentimes, it is necessary to water these products after they are applied. If the system were to fail following one of these applications, severe turf damage can occur. There are many possibilities; these are just a couple of the most common examples.
Project Goals
After the details of the physical condition, design problems and system inefficiencies were quantified, the needs and goals of the course were identified in order to complete the design of a new system. The goals of the project are as follows:
- Maintain the integrity and value of Brays Island
- Install an efficient system with the longest useful life possible
- Improve dependability
- Increase the distribution uniformity of water
- Improve consistency of course conditions
- Reduce water and electrical usage
RFP Process
With the design and system specifications completed by Tony Altum , an RFP was distributed to eleven contractors and nine proposals where received. The RFP contained a number of different options and varying design features to be quoted. This was done in order to have detailed pricing for system components in order to make final selections based on the ability to meet the Plantation
Project Scope
The overall scope of the project includes complete irrigation renovation for all eighteen holes including driving range, putting and chipping greens. The wedge range is not included in the project as its recent installation was completed appropriately with the future system replacement in mind. Pump station replacement is also not included in the project given that it is relatively new, in good working order with many more years of useful life. The central controller will stay however the field satellites are to be replaced by Rain Bird Integrated Control (IC) system. Another feature of this state of the art system that will add to its longevity is the use of High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) pipe.
The project is expected to begin April 11, 2011 and be completed no later than August 31, 2011. The project timeline has been set with several factors in mind. First, the slower summer season was selected to minimize the disruption to owner’s access to the course. Second, a completion date of August 31st is needed to order to have time to complete testing and extensive fine tuning prior to the fall overseeding process.
