Maintaining consistent playing conditions on a golf course is a balance of experience, observation and data analysis.

But what would it mean if turfcare professionals could actually see what is happening beneath the surface of the turf?

turfRad is a new technology designed to do exactly that — mapping soil moisture across golf courses in unprecedented detail. Developed by TerraRad, the system uses microwave sensing technology originally designed for satellite soil-moisture missions.

This three-part feature explores the story behind turfRad, the science that makes it possible and the potential impact it could have on the future of turf management.

In this series:

• Part 1: The story behind turfRad – how satellite science became a turf innovation
• Part 2: How turfRad works – the technology mapping moisture beneath the turf
• Part 3: Why turfRad matters – an irrigation audit on every pass

THE STORY BEHIND TURFRAD

From satellite science to the golf course

The origins of turfRad didn’t begin on a golf course. In fact, when TerraRad was founded in 2020 by Derek Houtz, CEO, and Robert Sedin, COO, turfgrass management wasn’t even on the radar.

“Golf and turfgrass were certainly not on the top of my mind when we founded TerraRad,” says Derek. “It came out of a highly technical and academic environment.”

Derek had spent years developing microwave sensing technology, completing a PhD in aerospace engineering and remote sensing at the University of Colorado before moving to Switzerland to work with satellite data at a federal research institute. His work focused on L-band microwave sensors – the same technology used by satellites to measure soil moisture across the planet.

But there was a limitation: satellites like NASA’s SMAP or ESA’s SMOS can measure soil moisture across vast areas – but at a relatively low resolution.

“Passive L-band satellites measuring subsurface moisture can only provide coarse 25km by 25km pixels,” Derek explains. “By bringing the sensor closer to the ground we could reduce this to about a metre squared.”

That realisation led to TerraRad’s first product: a portable L-band radiometer designed for research and scientific institutions. Early prototypes were hand-built and sold to academics and organisations like the European Space Agency.

“We started the company to sell hand-built prototypes of our sensors to researchers who had read about the technology in technical journals,” says Derek. 

Discovering the golf industry

The pivot toward turf management happened almost by accident.

After two years exploring applications in commercial agriculture, TerraRad was introduced to the golf industry through a connection with a golf management software company. Conversations with golf course professionals revealed a problem the team realised their technology could solve.

Moisture management, something golf course managers have long relied on experience and spot checks to manage, was far more complex than it appeared.

“When we learned that computerised sprinkler systems or hand-watering with hoses were the industry standard in turf, we immediately recognised the potential of our data to guide action,” says Derek.

Existing tools such as handheld probes measure moisture only at individual points. Golf course managers then have to estimate conditions between those points.

The TerraRad team realised the technology could instead provide a complete picture of moisture across the turf – and turfRad was born.

From research instrument to turf tool

Turning a scientific instrument into a daily tool for turf professionals wasn’t straightforward. “The biggest challenge was turning this technical instrument into an easy-to-use, automatic and robust product,” Derek comments. “We had to understand the daily routine of the turfcare professionals.”

The early versions of the sensor were literally assembled by hand. “Lars Horvath, CTO, led the transformation of the early prototypes into a manufacturable, repeatable, and scalable product. The first sensors sold were soldered and screwed together by hand in a spare bedroom during the pandemic lockdown!” Derek recalls.

From there, the company worked closely with golf course managers, engineers and agronomists to refine the product and today, TerraRad operates across four countries, producing hundreds of sensors and continuously evolving the turfRad platform.

Along the way, Derek learned something unexpected: “There’s a lot more to turf than just ‘growing grass’!”

The journey from satellite science to golf course innovation is just beginning, and we could be at a watershed moment… read our next article on how the technology behind turfRad is radically changing how turf moisture measurement and management is understood.