Low Mow with Greenside Sprinkler Heads

[Michael Hayes]

[quote author=James Bennett  

I assume the greens receive more water than the surrounds - well thats what is required at my club.  It seems to me that an occasional hand water of the greens will keep the water down on the greens, down on the surrounds and away from the bunkers, leading to a better turf and firmer playing conditions.

James B

Actually the surrounds receive more water in this set up, the greens getting half of the full circles water and the surround getting all of the part circles water... as to labor vs. in ground irrigation on greens, I know that at my club I could not afford the extra expense.  I already have the irrigation system and don't pay for water, LABOR COSTS $$$$

[James Bennett]

Michael Hayes

I agree, in your situation, it is a no-brainer.  I hope you are able to continue to pay nothing for your water.

My understanding was that the two sets of heads are both half-circles - one for greens, one for surrounds, not a full circle plus a half-circle surrounds.  There may be other set-ups, but that was what I was expecting.

My cost-benefit was the relative cost for an existing course of, say, a weekly hand-water versus the cost of retro-fitting a second set of heads (and replacing the existing full circle with half-circle).

Or, in the case of a new course, the cost of installing the second set at the time of constructio.  I expect the later question will be a no-brainer if there is a need for different water application to the greens vs surrounds, ie put the second set in.

James B

[TEPaul]

John Cullum:

Thanks for posting that Local Rule about relief from interference from a sprinkler head (obstruction). I did not know that Local Rule existed.

TomD:

Don't forget, to take advantage of that "Local Rule" John Cullum mentioned one does have to be sure that Local Rule is actually in effect. In a tournament it would have to be mentioned in the "Conditions of Competition" to be in effect. If it's not menitoned (not in effect) and one uses it obviously they'll have a problem.

In all the tournaments I've played and officiated over here I've never seen that Local Rule in effect. I think I'll check some of my old Rules or Decisions Book to see how old that Local Rule is.

[Doug Siebert]

I suggest we take a poll - in reality, how many times have we had a shot affected similarly or even in any way by the sprinkler heads?  My experience has been a half dozen times in 35 years of golf.  One was in Scotland where my ball came to rest on a green side sprinkler head.

We do try to keep them off the front of the greens, as do irrigation designers, but they are techies for the most part.  Coverage is determined by appropriate spacing, given the model of sprinkler, and they are most influenced by getting nearly uniform spacing to provide the best coverage.  Sometimes the green design ends up requiring a sprinkler right in front, as a result of the designer just designing from feel, and ignoring those situations.

But really, for the few times sprinklers happen to affect a shot, do you really want gca types to put one more design limit on their creativity to avoid a freak situation? I think not!

I don't see this happening often, probably once in a dozen rounds.  But I mostly play courses that have collars of rough around the greens (architects & supers suffering from too much watching of PGA Tour events)  If you have lots of closely mown area around the green, and PARTICULARLY if you have some wild contours to that area, you run into problems.

If I'm 10 feet from the green and think a putt or bump and run that lands short of the green is the way to go, I might have to worry about the heads.  If its pretty flat, its pretty easy to tell whether I need to worry about it or not.  If I've got some wild rolls between me and the green, my margin for error in reading the rolls is going to make it more likely that a sprinkler head is in my way.  Or feels like it is in my way, much like how I won't care to have a ball marked that's a foot off my line halfway to the hole on a straight in 30 footer, but I'll want it marked if its 3 or 4 feet off my line on big breaker just because getting the speed wrong could make me hit that ball that's 3 to 4 feet off my line, or at least worry that I might with a particularly ugly putt!

[A_Clay_Man]

It seems to me... If the golf hole is going to provide ground game options, or is playing F&F, having sprinkler heads hard against the green, is not as big a deal as it is on an aerial assualt type hole. And let's face it, it falls under rub O' green and the results are a reflection of what one deserves. Karmicly so to speak.

Is it possible to micro-manage the irrigation design based on the playing characteristics, in this manner? Or is that why it's best done green to tee?

[JohnV]

TomD:

Don't forget, to take advantage of that "Local Rule" John Cullum mentioned one does have to be sure that Local Rule is actually in effect. In a tournament it would have to be mentioned in the "Conditions of Competition" to be in effect. If it's not menitoned (not in effect) and one uses it obviously they'll have a problem.

In all the tournaments I've played and officiated over here I've never seen that Local Rule in effect. I think I'll check some of my old Rules or Decisions Book to see how old that Local Rule is.

Tom, the rule was added in 2000 to the US Rule Book.  It had been in the R&A's book for years.  In 2000, all local rules were made to be the same in both books.

It is very rarely used here.  It is primarily in the books for links style courses with lots of fairway height grass around the greens.  The concern with using it here is that a player in thick rough might get to use it also and most committees don't want that.