Aquatics: Golf Course Irrigation

A hydrogeologist offers perspective on water-management solutionsBy Rob F. Good Jr.Golf course irrigation has become a highly engineered science of pumps, piping, sprinkler heads, controls, automation, and telemetry, configured to maximize efficiency and conservation. Advances in system design have been driven by architect and player expectations for optimum turf conditions and the endless struggle between turf disease and fertility. Decisions about application rates, frequency, duration, and coverage have become more technical, with the added pressures of balancing expectations, performance, and environmental awareness. All of these factors have forced a keen focus on the most important resource for any irrigation system-water.