Toro guarding the resource at Royal County Down

Toro guarding the resource at Royal County Down: Delivery met expectations, when Toro, Reesink Hydro-Scapes, Adrian Mortram Associates and MJ Abbott Limited united to provide Royal County Down Golf Club with a new system to redefine the areas of irrigation and act as a guardian of the resource in a project about as big as it gets in the UK.

The preservation of the traditional links conditions of Royal County Down in Northern Ireland is of paramount importance to Links Manager Eamonn Crawford and his team, who adhere to a strict links maintenance programme.

The club needed an efficient state-of-the-art irrigation system for its fairways, greens, tees, and pathways to be used as a management tool and in times of drought. More control over application and better management of the resource was needed, and it was important to use water conservatively, only irrigating the surfaces required.

David Morgan, Secretary at Royal County Down, says: “We have a social responsibility to manage our water usage, as well as an obligation to the course and our members to present it as a traditional links course. This requires a certain level of irrigation control and precision to keep it alive but not green.”

Eamonn and David had done their due diligence in terms of brand comparisons before specialist irrigation designer and consultant, Adrian Mortram from Adrian Mortram Associates, tendered for the project and Adrian was instructed to gear the irrigation system specification plans entirely towards Toro.

“Having the best technology and resources available is essential to ensure we deliver our links maintenance programme effectively and efficiently and to the best of our capabilities,” says Eamonn. “There was never any doubt that Toro and Reesink were the partners for us in that respect.”

Toro Lynx Central Control system and Smart Hub were specified and Robert Jackson, Divisional Manager, Reesink Hydro-Scapes, explains this provided Eamonn “with all the data needed to make decisions in real-time and run the system with precision from the first sprinkler to the last, controlling the application of water on different areas with different conditions and requirements.”

Toro Infinity and Flex sprinklers were chosen to provide accurate and precise watering from the source and installation ran simultaneously on both 18-hole courses over winter 2023, the wettest season and hardest winter in 25 years. The effects of this on working conditions for the installation teams were not to be underestimated, especially when adding the terrain of a links course to the situation.

But that didn’t affect delivery as David says: “Overall delivery met expectations. All parties came together seamlessly to deliver Royal County Down with an irrigation solution to the budget and timescale set.”

This system, its design and installation are a classic example of how to redefine the areas of irrigation to act as a guardian of the resource. Through technology, the club has increased its area of irrigation but uses less water and wetting agents and now water can be retained in the low structure of the course.

“Now, we have full control in managing the system and water application,” says Eamonn. “There’s no wastage and we only use what is needed where it’s needed. Irrigation really is made easy with Toro and this is the best system at this time and the process has been well worth it.”

Jim Price from MJ Abbott Limited concludes: “This is now a fully connected course in real-time. To deliver a project of this magnitude in those conditions on time is a huge success story.”

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