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Watering account, moisture sensors and IT-controlled systems that save water
Without water no grass — but too much water gives a soft course, fungal diseases and wasted resources. The training regulations require that you can adjust and maintain irrigation systems and, in cooperation with others, design and implement irrigation systems that optimise water consumption using IT-controlled systems. In other words, irrigation is not a garden hose and a guess — it is technology, measurement and planning.
The basic concept is evapotranspiration (ET): the sum of the water that evaporates from the soil surface and what the plants themselves release through the leaves. On a hot, windy summer day, ET is high; on a cool, humid day it is low. A watering account balances the course's water balance — precipitation plus irrigation on one side, ET on the other — so you can calculate how much is actually missing. The school subject Irrigation Technique requires exactly that you can measure, record and calculate water consumption and irrigation requirements for areas and keep an irrigation account.
Modern greenkeepers measure soil moisture directly. Handheld soil moisture sensors (typically TDR meters) show the volumetric water content in the rooting layer in seconds so you can compare greens and spot dry patches before they become visible. Fixed sensors in the course can send data directly to the control system and a local weather station provides rainfall, temperature and wind to the ET calculation. The combination makes it possible to water based on need rather than calendar.
A watering system typically consists of a pump station a network of main lines solenoid valves that open sections and pop-up sprinklers at greens tees and fairways. Control happens in software where each section has its own programme and where sensor and weather data can automatically adjust or cancel watering. Your job is to keep the whole chain healthy: a single misaligned or clogged nozzle can give a dry stripe across a green long before anyone notices a control error.
| Facility section | Typical inspection |
|---|---|
| Pump station | Pressure, leaks, filters, noise and alarms |
| Wiring network and valves | Leakage traces (wet spots), valves that hang |
| Sprinklers | Rotation, extension, spray pattern of nozzles, head height at lawn level |
| Steering and sensors | Programs, sensor calibration, rain-stop function |
| Water consumption | Reading of meters for watering account |
Water is becoming a more expensive and more regulated resource, and the competence goals require knowledge of water collection, drainage and reuse. Many courses work with basins and lakes that collect drainage and surface water for reuse in watering, so the need for groundwater or mains water decreases. Combined with sensor-controlled watering it is both good economics and a strong green argument — something you as a professional should also be able to communicate to the club's members and management.
“Water is not a habit — it is an account that must add up.”
— Watering principle