9 The new irrigation system delivers high quality turf in an efficient and sustainable way Photo: Commonwealth Golf Club sustainable golf course. The combination comprises 900 and 952 Series rotors in areas where spacing can be bigger, 702 and 752 rotors in smaller areas and the 8000 Series on banks and tighter areas. “The old system was inefficient, and we knew we could reduce watering by a third with a new Rain Bird system,” said Lamb. “We used a hard-edge irrigation design with half heads on fairway edges, and IC is trustworthy – if there’s ever a problem, it lets you identify and rectify.” The new Rain Bird IC System allows Lamb and his team to water precisely. CirrusPRO golf software is state-of-the-art in terms of diagnostic capabilities, expandability, programming options and real-time communication. Rain Bird support, with easy-touse training materials including video tutorials for training new staff, has proved very useful. “Most clubs in the area are going with the hardedge design to focus on edges, up the middle and have less waste on the rough,” said Lamb. “It’s been quite warm in Melbourne, and we haven’t had a lot of rain. Our water supply would have been gone in previous years. But thanks to the new system, we’re effectively using a third less water. It allows the team to distribute water more accurately, particularly along fairway lines where water had previously been over sprayed into the rough. The primary value comes from not wasting water. Our rough is going to change a lot. That’s not a bad thing in the Sandbelt, where an exposed sand rough is desirable. It’s unique.” Water is particularly precious in the Sandbelt, so Commonwealth’s sustainability efforts immediately paid dividends. Members have already seen better conditions, particularly on the fairways. “The rough is now quite rough but we’re able to direct more water to fairways and create better conditions but still use less water overall,” said Lamb. Asked what lessons he learned from the process, Lamb said: “Be patient until fairway lines and heights are finalised by your architect. Patience is always important.” “Rain Bird is really the market leader with irrigation,” added Lamb. “Hardware and software are everything we need them to be. And all the recent upgrades make life for me and other superintendents so much easier and hassle-free. It’s just such an important tool. I often show people around and tell them, ‘This is the most important office in the golf club, and this is the most important computer’. That’s how much I value our new system.” For more on Rain Bird, turn to page 54 or visit www.rainbird.com/golf
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