Aqua Turf International Inc.

Transcription

1 Golf Irrigation Budget Planning "Considerations for Establishing a Budget and Selecting the Level of Irrigation Design and Investment" Other Related ATI Reference Documents: Budget Matrix Irrigation Design Checklist Value Engineering Options Why Hire an Independent Irrigation Consultant? A golf course or a country club is a business and needs to operate within a reasonable yet adequate budget to be sustainable. Irrigation system requirements can vary greatly from region to region based on weather and with the expectations of the clientele playing the course. Proper study should be made into the needs of the course prior to establishing the budget and the correct system then designed to meet those needs. Once the system is installed you will be stuck with it for years. A proper budget is a good start to insure those will be many years of trouble free efficient use. The irrigation system is the single largest cost category when building a golf course. The irrigation system is also the foundation for the entire turfgrass maintenance program. It is required not only to replace the water lost from the soil and plant each day but also to water in fertilizers and chemicals as well as germinate seed and propagate seedlings during grow-in and renovation. The quality of the irrigation system has a huge impact not only on the turf but also on the playability of the course. If the coverage or uniformity of the irrigation is poor this will cause wet spots and dry spots around the course making the course much less fair and enjoyable to play. There are a varying range of styles and costs of irrigation systems. Irrigation systems are not one size fits all. There are many components of a system that can be compromised but there are prices to pay later as the investment in the irrigation system declines. It is important that a realistic budget be established so the expectations of the ownership and the clientele of the course can be met. Below is a list of twenty (20) questions that need to be considered prior to establishing your budget. In addition to these there are also many others that should be asked to insure you get a system that meets your needs, satisfies the players and is efficient to own and operate. The answers to these vary greatly from course to course and region to region? There is a big difference in the expectations of the membership of Augusta National and a local public golf course and so are the irrigation budgets and the quality of the facilities. Not every course needs to be an Augusta National and not every course needs a five star irrigation system. It is important to understand what you need and the ramifications of a lack of investment in your irrigation system. Unfortunately, it doesn't rain the perfect amount every night so we need an irrigation system that can meet our needs when it isn't raining. We will provide some input to each of these questions in the summary. Please answer the questions honestly with yourself prior to establishing your budget.

2 Water and Design Related 1. Do you have an accurate in-depth study of the local weather so that an accurate maximum peak daily water requirement can be established? 2. What are the expectations of the clientele or membership? 3. What quality of irrigation does the courses that you will be competing against for members and clientele utilize and how successful are they? 4. Are you planning on having important competitive tournaments? 5. What is the availability of quality water? Have you had it tested? System Cost and Cost of Ownership Related 6. What is the cost and availability of quality water and is it guaranteed into the future? 7. What is the cost of power? 8. What is the cost and availability of labor? 9. How much am I concerned about the long term cost of ownership compared to the purchase price? 10. How long do you expect your irrigation system to last? 11. Why should I invest in an professional independent irrigation plan rather than use a free plan supplied by the local distributor? Playability Related 12. Am I willing to accept some brown or dry turf during periods of drought? 13. Will our membership be willing to play around the irrigation system if it is frequently dug up for repairs? 14. Will the players mind irrigation occurring during play? 15. Are we willing to accept weeds and slow play form lost balls in dense turf if we irrigate into native areas? Construction and Maintenance Related 16. Will the course need to be grown-in quickly? 17. Will the course be constructed with a sand cap? 18. Were the effects of the turf types and grassing limits on the irrigation budget taken into consideration when they were selected? 19. Are there other requirements for irrigation other than the golf course? 20. Can our superintendent manage and operate the system to provide the turf and playability we require? Included with the questions below is some food for thought to consider when answering the questions we have raised for when you establish your budget. 1. Do you have an accurate in-depth study of the local weather so that an accurate maximum peak daily water requirement can be established as well as your reliance on the irrigation system for when it isn't raining?

3 Deterring your true reliance on your irrigation system is critical in properly selecting the right system. The irrigation system should be designed to perform during the worst climatic times not on the average weather unless you want average results. Accurate weather data (daily high/low temperature, wind, humidity, rainfall) as near as possible to your site should be researched. The weather data can then be used to calculate the Evapotranspiration Rate (ET) for your course. The ET is then further adjusted based on the turf type and sprinkler inefficiencies (scheduling coefficient / SC) to determine the worst case daily requirement. We want your system to perform at optimal conditions when the weather is hot and dry as well as when the weather is mild. During these dry periods is also when people typically want to play golf making the irrigation more vital! The weather data can then also be evaluated to determine your annual water requirement. The ET is used to determine the length of time the sprinkler will need to operate to replace the water needed for the turf that day. This length of time the system must operate within is termed the "water window". If a longer water window is chosen the irrigation system will need to operate while golfers are playing in order to apply adequate water for the day. The water window then determines the size of the pump and the size of the mainline greatly impacting the budget. If not enough water is applied the turf will suffer and players will not be happy. Another advantage of a short water window is that if the irrigation can be applied in a short period of time (ex: 9pm to 4am), the water has more time to percolate into the soil before golfers and mowing equipment get on the course. This dryer condition improves the playability for the golfers and reduces the compaction of the soil. Dry soil compacts much less than wet soil which is what happens if irrigation completes minutes before play and maintenance begin. Another consideration is to accurately determine your irrigation reliance. If your system is in Northern Sweden your irrigation reliance will be much lower than that of Dubai. This document assumes a reasonably high reliance on irrigation which is typically the case. Areas with a low reliance on irrigation are normally places that are not well suited for golf in the first place due to the poor weather conditions. It should be noted that even areas that are cold and/or rainy for much of the year can have very hot and dry summers, so don't be fooled. If the season is short your clientele will have high expectations when the weather is good. 2. What are the expectations of the clientele or membership? A member or paying player at any course has an expectation of the course condition standard based on the amount of money they pay or the advertising used by the course. The irrigation system has a tremendous impact on the quality of the turf, the playability of the course and the experience of the player. Superintendents are not miracle workers. They cannot make the grass green in a drought without proper irrigation. They cannot also avoid wet spots if the irrigation system is inadequately designed with poor spacing and coverage. The investment in the irrigation system should match the expectations of the clients and the fees you anticipate to charge. 3. What quality of irrigation does the courses that you will be competing against for members and clientele utilize and how successful are they? Like most sales oriented businesses the hardest task is getting customers to come to your facility the first time. Customers are fairly educated these days, especially if they are paying a lot for what they are buying. In return they expect to get their money's worth. The competition for golfers and/or members between competing golf clubs is no different. If your course has the following then players are probably never coming back:

4 Poor turf Wet or dry spots effecting the play Irrigation running while players are trying to play Damage from ongoing repairs of the irrigation system Course is too wet from recent irrigation 4. Are you planning on having important competitive tournaments? If you intend to stage competitive professional or high level amateur tournaments at your facility then an adequate irrigation system capable of providing tournament standard turf and playability is a requirement. See the bullet points above for the reasons why. Tournaments can be a excellent marketing tool for your facility. However, you need to adequately invest in your irrigation system of they can quickly become a negative. If the players come and are disappointed with the course quality then they will more than likely never come back and tell their friends. 5. What is the cost and availability of quality water and is it guaranteed into the future? The availability of a low cost unlimited water supply is probably the biggest asset a course can have and greatly impact the irrigation budget. Unfortunately, at many of the sites where golf courses are now being constructed that is not the case such as near the ocean or in arid climates and deserts. If water is costly and in limited supply then we should make every drop count. How do we may every drop count? Reduce the spacing for better uniformity. If sprinkler spacing is too wide then there will be random dry spots in the sprinkler pattern, (Refer to the uniformity charts in Figures 1 & 2 of the "Golf Irrigation Budget Planning Matrix Guide"). A superintendent will irrigate until the driest spots are adequately moist to avoid complaints about brown grass. However, this wastes water in all the areas that were already adequately moist and makes the rest of the course too wet. Across the entire course this can lead to a waste of 20 to even 60% of the water applied based on the spacing, wind and other factors. The farther the spacing the less uniform the water will be applied. Don't throw water where it is not needed. Part circle sprinklers are needed so full circle sprinklers don't' overthrow into native or other non-turf areas. Increase control capacity. If multiple sprinklers are operated together either from a block valve or by wired together this limits the control the superintendent has on the application of water. Most golf courses have rolling fairways with many high and low spots as well as varying soil conditions, turf types, sun and shade issues and other factors that will vary the water requirement. Individual sprinkler control where needed gives the superintendent the ability to adjust the amount each sprinkler operates daily to meet each of these situations. If many sprinklers operate together then the varying conditions must all be irrigated the same which detracts from the course condition and wastes water.

5 Improving the uniformity, not throwing water where it is not needed and individual sprinkler control all increase the number of sprinklers and the size of the control system require to run them. This is a good time to dispel the myth that "more sprinklers use more water." More sprinklers actually use much less water because they offer better uniformity, more control and apply the water only where it is needed. Do you have to make these investments in your irrigation system if your budget or water is limited? Of course not, but your course will not meet its potential, your clientele will not be satisfied and will eventually chose to go elsewhere with better facilities. It is basically a matter of pay now or pay later. Invest in the irrigation system now and insure good turf and happy customers. Otherwise, you will pay more each year for water, power and labor while not making the customers as happy and risk losing them. Even if water is in abundance we should have a responsibility to use it wisely. It should be noted that if we waste water we also waste the electricity used to pump it. Also, where did the water go that we wasted? A good bet would be that it is growing weeds where they shouldn't be or causing wet spots that negatively affect play. The status of your water availability today could change over time. Quality water may not be limited at your site now, but lack of quality water is a growing problem around the world. There is a high probability that in the future no matter where you are that it can become regulated, less available and more costly. Be aware of any of these impending potential problems and prepare now. 6. What is the quality of the water? Have you had it tested? The quality of the water you have available can have a great impact on your irrigation budget was well as the turf. All water is not created equal. You should have the quality of the water from all potential water sources tested before design of your irrigiaotn system. Poor water quality could require filtration or expensive water treatment equipment to be added to avoid causing turf and soil problems. Also, if your water is poor it may require flushing salts that build up in the soil through time. Flushing requires large amounts of water to be applied at one time and the system should be designed accordingly. 7. What is the cost of power? In many areas power is expensive. Bigger pumps running shorter time do not typically save any power from smaller pumps running longer. However, there may be reductions in fees from your power provider for not operating large pumps during high "peak use" times of day. The best way to save power is to use less water as listed in Question 5! 8. What is the cost and availability of labor? The cost of labor varies greatly around the world which has a big impact on how irrigation can be applied. Hand watering by a properly trained employee can be a very effective method of a applying irrigation, especially for small areas. It is much better to irrigate a small dry spot with a hose than with a large sprinkler or possible multiple sprinklers if paired together. In some parts of the world where labor is inexpensive a few golf courses still manually irrigate much or all of the golf course using quick couplers. If the demand for irrigation is low such as Scotland or other mild climates, a quick coupler system can makes sense. However as the irrigation demand increases

6 the viability of a complete quick coupler system declines. On a large scale it is very difficult for the water to be applied uniformly from quick couplers. With a quick coupler system there are typically two options a superintendent can make. Since it is challenging to irrigate such a large area with quick couplers the first option is to irrigate very infrequently. This saves water but usually the turf suffers. If lesser quality turf meets the needs of the course and clientele then this is a reasonable option, but probably not for a higher end facility. If the superintendent chooses to try to provide quality turf with a quick coupler system then it is nearly impossible to not waste water and power. It is extremely difficult over such a large area to manage the application of water moving quick couplers every few minutes in the fairway, usually in the dark of night,. Typically quick couplers are left on too long extremely overwatering the course so the course is in varying states of condition, either really wet or really dry, on different days so the customers never know what they are going to get. If the system is not operated at night then the irrigation is a nuisance to the clientele and greatly detracts from the playability of the course and the customers satisfaction. Additionally, quick coupler operation causes extreme wear and tear on the pipe lowering the system life expectancy. A quick coupler system is a much less expensive alternative but the results are equally limited, but much better than nothing. Automating tees and greens is not much more expensive and a good addition. If a quick coupler system is selected we suggest that it be designed so it can be easily upgraded in the future to expand the coverage and automate. We recommend sizing the mainline so sprinklers can be added later within an adequate water window and to install main decoder wires with the mainline to facilitate the upgrade to a decoder system as soon as possible at a minimum. 9. Am I and my customers willing to accept some brown or dry turf during periods of drought? The amount of coverage and the spacing of the sprinklers determines the uniformity and quality of your turf during periods of inadequate rainfall no matter how big a miracle worker your superintendent may be. Not all courses and clubs have the same expectations or budgets. Also, the length of drought in some regions may not be for extended periods. If the length of the potential drought for your course is not for an extended period, nor where customers may react negatively to some brown turf, then you may be able to live with some dry conditions. If so, then some of the following value engineering options can be considered: Use a longer water window lowering the pump and mainline pipe size Wider spacing could be acceptable but dry spots could occur and water efficiency will decline Limit the amount of coverage in roughs and other out of play areas It is important that you properly research the weather in advance. Also, design the system so that if the weather patterns or the needs of your clientele change that you can upgrade the system without starting over.

7 10. Will our membership be willing to play around the irrigation system if it is frequently dug up for repairs? Not all irrigation products are made the same and like most purchases, better products cost more money. In an effort to save money it is not uncommon for some owners to be lured by unscrupulous salesman into purchasing products that are of lesser quality to save money. Cutting corners in this manner is not a good idea when it comes to irrigation. There is only one letter different between "Irrigation" and "Irritation". Inferior products will surely provide much irritation and aggravation far sooner than necessary. A golf course irrigation system in full operation undergoes significant dynamic stresses on all the components, especially the pipe, fittings and valves. Also, wire and wire connections are exposed to lightning and deterioration while buried in the ground. Over the years quality products have been developed specifically for golf courses and usually come with valuable additional service, support and warranties. Using non-golf products in a golf application is usually a recipe for disaster while only saving a small percentage of the cost. A golf course irrigation system consists of miles of pipe and wire buried under hopefully quality turf. If you purchase inferior products you can be assured they will fail sooner than expected. If so repairs require digging up potentially large areas of the course. At the same time the system must be shut down so irrigation may not be available which could be critical, especially for the greens in the summer. If the design was poor the amount of isolation may be limited so large portions of the system may be without water. Get a good design with adequate isolation and purchase proven quality products. If you need to save money do it elsewhere. 11. How much am I concerned about the long term cost of ownership compared to the purchase price? An irrigation system is as good an example of pay me know or pay me later. A typical irrigation system during the peak season could potentially use 4,000-5,000m3 per day or more. The differences between an efficient and inefficient system can potentially be 50% in waste or more! It doesn't take much savings in the cost of water or pumping to pay for the savings invested in a more efficient system. Repairs to substituted inferior materials adds even more to the additional cost of ownership not to mention the aggravation to play. The time the staff spends in repairs could be spent on trimming and edging that make the course more attractive and playable. 12. Will the course need to be grown-in quickly? In a new construction the grow-in is the most important time for the irrigation system. In many instances it is important for many reasons to get the course planted and open quickly. The capacity of the irrigation system, particularly the pump, mainline and lateral piping is critical to see this is possible. If the mainline and lateral pipe is undersized then the number of sprinklers that can be operated simultaneously is limited. This could seriously limit the amount of turf that can be planted at a time extending the grow-in schedule and increasing the time for the newly planted grass to become established. The delay in opening could be far more costly than the small additional cost of larger pipe and pumps.

8 13. Will the course be constructed with a sand cap? In addition to irrigation, drainage is another key ingredient that helps provide a healthy turf and playable golf course day in and day out. A quality golf course should be in the sam condition for play every day, the same Tuesday or Wednesday as it is on Saturday, Sunday or any other day. Sand capping of the entire course has become a trend at top courses over the last few years and greatly improves the drainage of the course. However, a sand cap, because its improved drainage holds less soil water. The lack of held soil moisture greatly increases the importance of uniform irrigation coverage. More dense loam and clay filled soils will hold much more water than the sand cap. Any imperfections in the sprinkler system uniformity will be quickly noticeable in sand during even short periods of drought. Typically only the higher end courses can afford to invest in a sand cap. If you will be using a sand cap then you need to equally invest in your irrigation system and do not use wider sprinkler spacing that are more susceptible to dry spots in a sand capped situation. 14. Were the effects of the turf types and grassing limits on the irrigation budget taken into consideration when they were selected? The type of turf and the climate in which it is being used can greatly affect the irrigation requirements and budget. Cool season grasses are less drought tolerant than warm season grasses and could require as much as 20% more water depending on the climate. Cool season grasses would also tend to show the stress of poor sprinkler coverage quicker than warm season turf. As a result cool season grasses may require larger pipe and pump systems and closer spacing. The amount of turf will also affect the amount of sprinklers required so reducing the irrigated area can help reduce the budget. If the area around tees can be non-irrigated such as when native grasses are used this can reduce the amount of sprinklers. If a hard-line is used required and the native grass is very near the greens then several short radius sprinklers are required to avoid throwing into the native while still properly irrigating the turf. Keeping the grass line 19 to 22m from the putting surface helps reduce the number of sprinklers. If the architect can be flexible with the native grass lines in areas many sprinklers can be reduced when the hardline style is implemented. 15. Are there other requirements for irrigation other than the golf course? Many times golf courses are built in conjunction with residential complexes. If this is the case you should plan for this in advance. The homes may be in need of an irrigation source as well as the common areas and roadways. It is definitely not recommended to irrigate both golf and non-golf areas from the same pump station. However, they could share the same building, power source and intake pipe to conserve costs. In either regard both should be planned at the same time and sized appropriately.

9 16. Will the players mind irrigation occurring during play? Most golfers are high handicap and rely on the roll of the ball to run out along the fairways or onto the greens to enjoy the game. Good payers also like drier conditions so they can use different shots as needed. If the pump or mainline are not large enough, then during the peak irrigation demand the irrigation system will need to run late in the morning to apply adequate water. Since it is hot at this time of year many players prefer to play early in the morning. Golf is not nearly as enjoyable if the soil is too wet. This could have been avoided if the system was big enough to apply the water in a shorter time. If a quick coupler system is used then either the maintenance staff will need to try to irrigate in the dark of night or while the golfers are playing. Why would they want to pay to play on wet greens that were just irrigated when they can play at other courses that aren't? 17. Are we willing to accept weeds and slow play form lost balls in dense turf if we irrigate into native areas? Many courses are now being designed with native grasses just outside the rough. This creates less maintained turf than a parkland style course. Native grass areas can help reduce many costs involved in the course construction and maintenance. In most instances it is the intent of the golf architect that these areas be sparse and look natural and is why the are termed "Native". Irrigation thrown into native areas no longer makes them native. As a result the native grasses get too dense and weed growth also becomes a problem for golfers to find their balls, slowing down play. To avoid these areas becoming too dense and slowing play it is important not to irrigate into these areas. However, this requires part circle sprinklers to be installed along the perimeter between the rough and native grass and is termed a "hard-line" system. In some instances small radius part circle sprinklers may need to be installed behind other part circle sprinklers when the distance to the next sprinkler is less than the normal spacing. A hard-line system can greatly increase the sprinkler quantity. Either these additional sprinklers need to be taken into account in the budget process or realize that the result will be overgrown vegetation in the native areas. The overgrowth will result in lost balls, slow play and the appearance of the native grass will not be that as intended by the architect. 18. Can our superintendent manage and operate the system to provide the turf and playability we require? As systems get larger they require computers properly programmed to maximize their operation. A system could have between 1,500 to 2,000 sprinklers or more so controlling when they operate and for how long can be complicated. If the computer is properly programmed it can operate highly efficiently in the water window for which it was designed. If not properly programmed and operated it will not perform to its potential. It is important that the system be programmed as it was designed and the operator trained in order to maximize your investment in your irrigation system.

10 19. How long do you expect your irrigation system to last? A well designed and operated system using quality components installed by a qualified contractor can last decades. If any of these components is compromised then the life of the system will be shortened. In the meantime it will be in constant need of repair while not meeting the needs of the superintendent detracting from the potential golf experience. A quality irrigation system is the foundation of your turf maintenance program and greatly affects the way the course plays and can last with little repair for decades. The alternative without proper investment can be years of agony without the desired results you thought you were buying. The difference in cost from a poor to a good system is not necessarily that much once you factor in the money wasted in repair, lost revenue plus the extra cost of water, power and labor. 20. Why should I invest in an professional independent irrigation design rather than use free plans supplied by the local distributors? Your irrigation systems will need someone to do the design. The design and materials specified are the foundation for whether the system will meet the needs of the project and how long it will last. Your choices for a design are either a: 1. Professional Independent Irrigation Designer, or a 2. Irrigation Material Distributors or Manufacturers Simply stated, A Professional Independent Irrigation Designer is a specialist that will work impartially in your best interest since he has no profit motive in the products that he specifies. An Independent Irrigation Designer will also ensure a competitive and fair bid that will give you a choice of products to fulfill your needs. The designer makes one plan for all suppliers to bid so the bids can be more easily compared. Also the quantities are determined by the designer so all bidders are bidding the same plan and quantities. During construction the Independent Irrigation Designer can provide field layout and construction administration to protect your investment by ensuring the system and materials are installed by the contractor as designed and specified Conversely, a distributor would most likely be motivated to design the system to be the least expensive in order to gain the sale rather than design a system that meets your long term needs and reduce the long term cost of ownership. To insure competition plans must be provided by multiple distributors making it very difficult for you to compare the various and different plans. Also, inaccurate quantities could be provided on purpose in order to win the sale. Independent designs are not expensive, especially when compared to the size of the investment. Independent designs ensure that you realize the maximum return on the significant investment in your new system. The savings in a competitive bid, time, long term efficiency and extended life of the system will more than offset the cost of independent design services.

11 Summary As previously stated, not all courses and clubs have the same expectations or budgets. We are not promoting high-end elaborate irrigation systems. We are promoting that golf course owners understand the implications of not investing properly in their irrigation system and properly evaluate their needs for the long term so the design and budget can match. The type of system designed should be based on the expectations of the golfer you are trying to keep as your customer. Business is business and sometimes funds are limited. At ATI we are businessmen too and understand that as well as anyone. Therefore, we recommend that you allow us to design the system that meets your needs and your clientele's expectations from the beginning. With proper communication we can adapt to most budgetary constraints and still design a system with integrity and expandability. To help this process we require the Design Checklist be completed so we can design the right system for your budget. Once all the bids are returned further "Value Engineer" can be performed with the help of the designer as needed to adapt to further budget cuts. Our design can be adapted so the system can be expanded or features added later as needed. An irrigation system is an expensive long term investment. Once installed, if not planned for in advance, will be very difficult to upgrade and cause serious disruption to play. It is much better to do it right the first time. This is a generalized document so specific costs for your region should be discussed with ATI, your architect and contractor if already chosen to get an idea of the right budget for you. Costs also vary greatly around the world due to shipping, duty, construction seasons and other factors. Salesman are excellent resources for information on their products. However, realistically in most instances on matters such as budget and design they will tell you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear. Seek advice on budget and design issues from those who do not have profit to gain from the outcome. Finally, with our new global awareness of the limited resources and fragile environment of our planet we all should do our fair share to protect them within reason. Irrigation systems have a big effect on the way we conserve our water, power and labor and the impact should not be taken lightly. Your irrigation system is a long-term investment and if you invest properly and hire professionals to design, construct and manage the system it will last for a long time, provide years of efficient and reliable service and many happy golfers.