Ten years ago, it was common practice to prioritise the irrigation of greens and tees over fairways to keep costs down and reduce water consumption.

However, with the UK experiencing a consistently warming climate and more extreme weather spells, fairways across the country are burning off and drying out at an alarming rate. There’s now more need for good fairway irrigation practices than ever before – and our insider’s guide is the perfect source of information for greenkeepers as we head into the warmer months.

A changing landscape: how fairway irrigation has evolved in the last decade

In previous years, the UK could be relied upon to produce enough rain to keep fairways adequately watered and lush throughout the year. As a result, many clubs and courses chose to exclude fairways from their irrigation coverage in order to save on water costs.

But our climate’s changed dramatically since then, and course managers are now having to rethink irrigation strategies.

Why fairway irrigation is essential in our warming climate

Overseeding goes to waste

Overseeding is a common practice employed by greenkeepers and course managers every year to help improve damaged or worn patches of sward. However, without proper irrigation, the positive effects of overseeding could be rendered null.

That’s because once a seed has germinated it needs to be kept wet regularly or else it dies. With a lack of rain and proper irrigation, the costs and efforts employed during overseeding go to waste when the seed dies. 

Therefore, it’s essential to sufficiently irrigate your fairways – as well as your course’s greens and tees – to ensure overseeding efforts pay off.

Turf products can’t be applied properly

Water is not only important for seed growth. It’s also needed to correctly apply turf care products like fertiliser and wetting agents. 

Wetting agents are a vital ingredient that help keep turf alive by holding onto and distributing water throughout the soil profile so it’s readily available for the grass plant to use. Similarly, without water, fertiliser is oftentimes wasted as it can’t be broken down and made available to the grass through the plant’s roots. 

All turf care products are expensive, so it’s important that products are applied properly to make the biggest impact on your sward without consuming too much of your budget. And, for best results, that means applying them with water.

Is irrigation sustainable and how can you improve your system’s sustainability?

Of course, when it comes to irrigation, there will always be a consideration of sustainability – when you add fairways into the irrigation equation, along with tees and greens, your water usage goes up significantly. 

Therefore, a big part of being sustainable is getting the most out of the turf products applied by using water correctly during the application process to prevent unnecessary wastage. 

In our own research, we noticed that products like fertiliser and wetting agents were not being put out on the course last year due to a lack of rain, which in turn reduced overall turf quality. But in cases like this, the power of practical, efficient, and responsible irrigation really comes to the fore.

How to prevent weather damage to your turf this summer

Toro, for instance, has spent years investing in technology to ensure responsible irrigation options are available to greenkeepers and course managers. With the hard research and development (R&D) work already done, it’s now simply down to clubs to decide which irrigation route works best for them since experts only expect global warming to continue.

Investing in a new irrigation system

For the irrigation systems that are old and failing, of course, a new system is the best investment golf courses and sports venues can make to prevent weather damage as temperatures and the likelihood of extreme weather spells increase.

But, as we’ve explained, it’s also important that fairways are linked to the rest of the system and put on the same cloud-based remote central control that irrigates greens and tees. Intuitive new systems such as Toro’s Lynx central control help greenkeepers and course managers identify any issues and perform critical diagnostics from any device, saving your time and preventing new turf problems from getting worse.

Not only does Toro’s central control system provide complete peace of mind, it can also be integrated into your club’s existing irrigation system, providing excellent value with minimal investment. We’ve seen numerous success stories throughout the UK, including, for instance, Barton-on-Sea Golf Club, who turned to Reesink and Toro’s Lynx central control system to safeguard its coastal course.

Indeed, no other system gives you such exact control over watering times and amounts per sprinkler. Built-in fail-safes, like the ability to run system health checks, also help you avoid potentially costly problems in the future.

Renovating your existing sprinkler system

Did you know sprinkler renovation can be made without the need for mini-excavators and massive disruption? 

Toro sprinklers dating all the way back to the 1960s can be simply fitted with the latest Toro head technology. This isn’t a case of just replacing new for old; new heads can improve your irrigation system’s precision, accuracy, and efficiency. 

And it’s not just the casing that’s replaced. Specific irrigation needs, such as arc retention, which helps you achieve a strict start-stop arc without unwanted movement, and the elimination of dwell points and subsequent pooling, are also addressed. 

By ensuring even distribution by tackling these specific needs, you can rest assured that grass seed will be adequately watered and water-applied products will be broken down and therefore used by the soil.

Toro irrigation: a guaranteed solution to dry fairways?

While it’s true there’s an investment to be made if you want to achieve the best results for your turf, it’s surprising the difference that accurate and effective irrigation can make in the long-term – not to mention the savings in water can be huge!

In a world of unknowns, including our drastically changing climate, by choosing Toro irrigation you’re guaranteeing an easy and cost-effective solution to dry and patchy fairways for many years to come.