The computerised system, specifed by Robin Hume Associates, is worlds apart from the previous kit. which after 25 years had reached the end of its useful life at the 18-hole course, said course manager Chris Carpenter.
Club manager Robin Farrer explained: "We needed to do something about our ailing system: pipes had started leaking, the sprinkler heads had become inaccurate and you couldn’t water the greens or tees without surrounding walkways and shrubs getting drenched."
He said because Verulam used mains water supply, the new system’s improved efficiency would bring significant water savings because irrigation was more focused and concentrated. The old system watered by the minute, but watering by the millimetre was more precise.
"We pay by the cubic metre, so we’ll certainly be making savings. After organising the finance and overcoming some planning issues, we finally had the system installed and we’re pleased to have upgraded."
The Toro GDC field hardware and SitePro central control system software was installed by contractor MJ Abbott. The kit includes a mapping function to pin-point areas around the course.
