Golf Business News – New irrigation system at Golf Los Lagos, Spain, impacts playability and course beauty

Near Zaragoza, the capital of Aragon in northeastern Spain, Golf Los Lagos first opened in 1997 as a 9-hole course. When its ownership changed three years later, the decision was made to expand the course with Ramón Espinosa designing the current 18-hole structure, which began operations in 2002.

In recent years, the biggest challenge has been to keep the course up to the standard the members have come to expect. The previous irrigation system, which was installed 23 years ago in 2001 when the studies were expanded, remained in operation, thanks to the efforts of the conservation team until 2023, when the system and field controllers expired.

The lack of availability of spare parts, especially replacing obsolete antennas, meant not being able to communicate with individual controls or having the freedom to update something as simple as watering times. Long sections of cable were replaced earlier and the team cleverly reused electrical plates between the controls to allow irrigation throughout. Erosion of old PVC pipes and custom-made steel joints also caused problems that led to some workers working forever to repair burst pipes and leaks.

The head of Greenkeeper maintenance Miguel Monguilod explains, “The irrigation coordinator, Kiko Allo, understood our needs well and supported us with the decision to renovate, which we knew was necessary but it became very urgent when the level of cracking started to exceed the level. of repair.

“We have always known the benefits of proper irrigation in this course, but it is a difficult decision, evaluating the different qualities offered by competing systems. I visited other courses to learn about their experiences and programs so we took advice from some of the best in our country. Ultimately, considering what we learned from other clubs, our knowledge of the Rain Bird rotor and central computer system was key in making our decision. “

With the new Rain Bird® IC System™ with CirrusPRO™ Central Control software and the 1200 Rain Bird rotors we have installed, we expect improvements in grass quality. In addition to improving performance, we expect that there will be significant savings in the use of water, in electricity, in being able to irrigate in less time, in not having to buy expensive spare parts and lastly, many hours of labor that were previously spent on maintenance will be saved. “

The project was completed in April 2024 by contractor Green Natur with the help of the Rain Bird® Global Sales Plan (GSP) team who completed onboarding and set up remote access so that the subject could use the system from any device. Rain Bird® 702 Series rotors are installed for reliable full circle coverage, and 752 Series rotors deliver full and partial circle flexibility and easy arc adjustment.

A large irrigation pipe was installed using a traditional trench but elsewhere, Green Natur’s waterless equipment meant that any damage to the course was much less than expected, resulting in minimal scarring of the course. One of the club’s most important considerations during installation was to ensure that as few holes as possible were covered so that members could continue to enjoy the majority of the course, making communication between contractors and club members essential. The installation followed the planned schedule without any major incidents and although the final repairs proved to be more complicated than planned, they have all been completed.

Monguilod adds, “From the beginning Rain Bird answered all our questions and made several visits to the team to show us how all the different rotors and computer systems work. In addition, they have shown us great support when faced with questions or incidents.

“Because of the proximity of the Pyrenees mountains, we have the right to be in a wetland and our water comes directly from the natural aquifer so it is not treated in any way before it is used for irrigation. It has high levels of calcium, lime and salt but has not caused any problems with the grass so far.

“There is currently no restriction on the amount of water that can be used to irrigate the golf course but the club is very careful that the water is used satisfactorily and the new irrigation system has been put in place with this in mind.

In some parts of Spain, especially on the coast and in the south where there are wastewater treatment plants and salt water, there are limits on the amount of water that can be used but we have the right in the north of Spain and we are prepared if it is necessary to make cuts.

“It is too early to assess the full effects of the refurbishment but although the last few months have been very hectic, the impact on the playability and the beauty of the courses can already be felt. Our greens team now have more time to work on other parts of the course and members are starting to see the results of that and our investment in maintenance. Our renovation experience has been great so far and we are available to share with any other club that is thinking of refurbishing and needs help.”

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