Installing an irrigation system at County Louth

Selling your club on the need for a new irrigation system can be one of the biggest challenges a course manager faces in his career.

The cost of a new system and logistics of installation often stand in the way of approval for what is often a crucial upgrade on many levels. Wayne Murray of County Louth in Ireland recently took on the advocating, planning and execution of a new irrigation system at his course. His step-by-step story may help you bring a similar project to fruition at your course.

When Wayne arrived as course manager at County Louth in late 2017, the club had been considering an upgrade to their irrigation system for about a year. The existing system was installed in the late 1980s, when it was considered state of the art. It covered tees, fairways, and greens but the technology of that era fell short of today’s needs and concerns.

That system’s primary drawback was that sprinklers were all operated in blocks of four or five, which prevented individual sprinkler operation. This configuration resulted in a significant waste of water, leading to overwatering in many areas and substantial inaccurate watering. It was clear to Wayne and others at the club that an upgrade was worth considering.

Having early support for the project is one thing, but selling the investment to the entire membership would be a different task entirely. The club enlisted Adrian Mortram Associates to report on the significant failings of the existing system. This provided the foundation for a colour brochure meant to both explain the shortcomings of the existing system and explain the many benefits of investing in a new system.

It was clear to Wayne and the club that communication was key to getting the irrigation upgrade approved. In addition to the colour brochure the club hosted two informational nights with members to discuss the project. Experts in the field were brought in to explain their findings and to answer any questions the members had regarding the new installation. These sessions were essential in getting the project passed by the membership.

In April, 2021 – during the height of the coronavirus pandemic - a virtual meeting was called to vote on the project, which had a projected total cost of €1.2 million (approximately £1million). This included both the new irrigation system and some water sourcing and geophysical survey work.

With approval by the club at hand, it was decided the work would commence on 19 September after most of the summer play had taken place. One thing was clear from the start and that was that the in-house staff were going to be extremely hands-on for two primary reasons. Doing much of the work in-house would save the club substantial money, while also ensuring they would have control around any turf restitution works.

Wayne said: “Our own core staff were very heavily involved from the very start of the project to its completion. We carried out all turf restitution works around newly installed sprinklers, valve boxes and inspection boxes. We also located, prepared and exposed pipe work for the contractor to come in and install the actual hardware itself. Our work also included forking and repairing any turf that was disturbed during the mole ploughing process once the pipe working cable was being installed.”

A project of this magnitude doesn’t happen without the expertise of industry partners who are experienced in irrigation projects. Rain Bird was the preferred partners for the irrigation system and the company was supportive throughout the project. Wayne and the club were already very familiar with the use of Rain Bird equipment and the installation of its products carried a big weight in the decision.

The club’s chosen installation contractor was Aquaturf Solutions, which is managed by Stephen Daly. His team installed all pipe work, cables, and sprinklers. They also installed and fitted the new pump house and were involved in the installation of the new water storage tank.

While there weren’t any existing issues with water quality or quantity, the club was keen to carry out geophysical survey work in case extra wells are needed in the future. This work was carried out by Richard Langford, a hydrogeologist with Parkmore Environmental Services. The survey work was seen as critical by both Wayne and County Louth in order to futureproof the irrigation system.

Roughly seven months after the start of work on the irrigation system it was tested and commissioned by Adrian Mortram on 17 March 2022, St. Patrick’s Day. “We definitely had one or two Guinness’s that day!” Wayne said. They were free to use the system as designed.

It didn’t take Wayne, his staff and the club long to see immediate results of the new system. The club would routinely overseed their fairways in April and rely on natural rainfall for proper germination. With the advent of the new irrigation system, they had a large supply of available water and the technology to place it where needed to aid germination.

“The impact we’ve seen from our spring overseeding of 2022 was definitely the best of my six years at the club,” said Murray. “It’s fantastic to know that we’re going to have that available to use in the future as well.”

Club members also noticed an immediate positive impact of the investment in the new irrigation system during the busy summer months at Baltray.

Wayne said: “Post commissioning and throughout the summer of 2022 it was a very, very dry season. This was the perfect environment for putting the new system to the test. In terms of water coverage, we’ve seen excellent results in all areas. Our playing surfaces improved even further as a result.”

The new system also allowed Murray and his staff to make improvements in their soil moisture management, which resulted in improved putting surfaces. Wayne and the club received very positive feedback from members and visitors on the condition of the links.

Hindsight is valuable when completing a project of this size and magnitude. As Wayne reflected on the project with the management committee, they all agreed that for future projects of this size they would look to employ extra labour for the duration of the project.  Having extra bodies onsite to carry out the intensive work ensures the project runs smoothly during times when staff take annual leave or there may be sick leave. The club is also wary of the potential for burnout and enlisting extra staff helps prevent that.

Wayne hopes that many of his peers will have the opportunity to embark on a significant project at their courses and offers the following advice to them: “Looking back on the project, the key was planning. We planned this project to within an inch of its life as that is such an important aspect. If anyone was planning to embark on such a project I’d urge them to ensure they carried out the necessary planning first. With proper planning we delivered the project on time and under budget, which was key and a massive achievement for myself, my team, the contractors and the club.

“Due diligence on all aspects was essential. This may not work for everybody, but our management committee drafted a survey and contacted clubs who had carried out similar installations over the past 10 years in both the UK and Ireland. Each club received a survey and we were extremely grateful to them for sharing their information. The feedback was fantastic and allowed us to make changes to our own plans for the project. This helped ensure we delivered a project on time and within budget.”