Irrigation System Update

The irrigation system is undergoing a major renovation this fall as I'm sure you are all aware of by this point in the season. All pipe, sprinklers and control will be replaced except for the green sites, the entire 10th hole, the short game practice area and the driving range. That work was completed in 2010 and 2011. The new Flowtronix Pump Station was installed in April and is operating as expected. What has not been discussed is a conversion from the existing manufacturer to Toro irrigation components. After careful consideration and using the latest technology from the other company around the greens we made the decision to change. We were going to leave the sprinklers around the greens even though we had considerable performance problems for several seasons after they were installed. We did overcome most of those issues but they are still, in my opinion, an inferior product.

Toro Canada offered to replace those sprinklers with their top of the line product. We were presented with this option after the project pricing had been submitted by the independent installer (Alpine Irrigation). Our only obligation was to supply the labour to install them and then Oakcreek Golf and Turf (the Western Canada Toro distributorship) would then take the old sprinklers in exchange.

Throughout the remainder of the summer Turf Care will be working around the greens to switch out those sprinklers. Simply put it was an offer we couldn't refuse and we are getting a superior product. The other manufacturer' sprinklers on hole 10 and the driving range will remain in place. They are a different model than the greens sprinklers and work fine for our needs in those areas.

The new sprinklers being installed around the greens are of the same design that will be installed on the rest of the golf course. What is unique about them is that they can be upgraded in the future as new technology hits the market in the years to come and they don't have to be dug up.

Eric and Sam are seen here at 17 green replacing the old sprinklers laying beside Tia with new Toro Infinity sprinklers.