Saving in efficiencies for Barton

The efficiency of the system, which is a Toro Lynx Central Control System, Infinity sprinklers on the greens, approaches and fairways, B Series on the tees and all new pipework across the 27 hole course, was noticeable to Jon and the team straight away: “Previously it was taking us seven to eight hours a night to water the greens, tees and approaches, now it takes us one hour.”

Jon praises the Infinity sprinklers, of which he has 1245, as being “particularly good for our location because of their unique ability to keep their arc in the wind and keep the water going where it needs to. We couldn’t find any other sprinklers that could do that.”

And that’s something Jon confirms was happening at Barton-on-Sea: “We don’t mind the fairways brown but we want them alive! So we had the irrigation extended, it was only an extra 15 percent cost to do this which is money well spent to keep them healthy and maintain the traditional links effect. With it we basically do what the weather used to do for us and put a thunderstorm’s worth of water down once a week. That does the job.” 

The results from the new irrigation have been noticeable to all, especially the 1150 members, says Jon: “Previously it was too stressful and damaging to cut the grass across the course too low, but with the new system and the grass healthier and stronger we’ve been able to make some significant reductions in cutting heights.

The efficiencies don’t end there, Jon confirms his use of herbicides, wetting agents and turf feed is going further: “There’s far less wastage,” he says. “It’s hard to think of an area where this system hasn’t made us more efficient.”