When Warrington Golf Club’s course was struck by lightning the voltage burnt out its 30-year-old irrigation controller and the club found itself in the market for a new system, which is where Bailoy stepped in.

Warrington Golf Club course manager John McLoughlin explains: “The lightning picked up one of the irrigation cables and burnt out the controller. The system we had was an original Bailoy SC3000, still going strong after delivering us 30 years of service, but it understandably couldn’t withstand the power of a strike from above!”

Investigating different manufacturers comparing price and products soon led John back to the original manufacturer, Bailoy and its latest GTI PC system, and John says it was the product’s straight forward operator experience and application precision that sealed the deal: “What impressed me most about the GTI PC was its adaptability. The team now irrigate in the preferred measurement of millimetres rather than minutes. We abstract from a pond and also have access to a mains water feed, so managing water usage in a sustainable manner is extremely important for the club. Better controlled water application via the new software and daily monitoring of the greens’ moisture levels has allowed for greater control of the greens playability in a, pleasingly, more sustainable manner.”

John and his greenkeeping team of seven are also finding the GTI PC incredibly easy to use. “Compared to the other products we looked at this one seemed the most user-friendly. We’ve had our first full season using the software and we can now vouch for this first hand.”

The club also opted for ongoing GTI Support, choosing the Gold level. This backup service, although not yet used by John, is reassuring to have. He says: “I’m glad we haven’t had to use this yet, as it of course means there’s no product, installation or setup issues! But having it means there’s no need to worry if something does go wrong, Bailoy will be available to investigate the situation.”

The GTI PC comes with Remote Access, which John is very much looking forward to using this year. “One of the other key benefits is that we will be able to manage the software remotely; with changeable weather patterns it is of the upmost importance we can make real time decisions at the push of a button. Controlling the system out in the field will also offer an operating exercise that had previously not been possible.”

It is well known that aeration is one of the most important practices carried out by greenkeepers, and that fact is why Woodhall Spa Golf Club has acquired an Air2G2 from Campey Turf Care Systems, via the dealer Burdens.

The sprawling 36-hole complex includes the world renowned Hotchkin Course, and is home to the National Golf Centre. It is located on the rare Lincolnshire heathland, giving a fantastic setting for the many amateur Championships held at the venue over the years.

The vast site is managed by course manager, Sam Rhodes, where he and his 17-staff work to keep the courses at a standard befitting of the tournaments they host, with the Air2G2 now an integral part of the maintenance operation.

The importance of the machine comes from the expectations of golfers. Gone are the days when winter golf is seen as a bonus, and in are the demands for perfect putting surfaces all year round. This expectation is managed by Sam and is the reason the Air2G2 is an exciting addition.

“The reason the machine gets me excited is because aeration is one of the most important things you can do on a golf course,” Sam explains. “A lot of the aeration machinery out there works very well but causes a lot of surface disturbance.

“In modern day golf the condition of the greens is important throughout the year. Years ago, winter golf was a bonus, now there is a lot more pressure on turf professionals to maintain good quality playing surfaces 12 months a year.

“The beauty of the Air2G2 is I can go out there now, I can do the work on a green to break up any compacted layer underneath and help with the drainage, come off, cut the green and you wouldn’t know I’d been on it.

“Even taking it a stage further, we are a championship golf course and we host several national amateur events every year, and if I’ve got a tournament on and know there’s a massive amount of rain coming I can go out mid-tournament and aerate the greens.

“We’ve seen it this winter when there’s been heavy rain the day after we’ve done the work, and the greens have been absolutely fine, so it does give you that option. The lack of disturbance means you can aerate 12 months of the year and do it when you really need to.”

Sam first witnessed what the machine could do two-years ago at a Campey demonstration, which prompted him to use a contractor to aerate his greens with the product. But the more he saw the results the more he realised the benefits of having one of his own.

Because the size of the site it was only possible to have each green aerated once in a season, but having only had his machine since December it became apparent that other areas of the course can also benefit.

Time has been taken to figure out exactly where the pan layer is, and then with the three varying size of tines Sam has cracked that layer and experimented with depth to reduce compaction as much as possible.

By doing this he now has well-draining greens with the added ability of reacting to any heavy rain fall before or during tournaments, giving him a 12-months a year aeration operation.