Jeff,
We are doing similar work at Islesmere and Richelieu Valley and it can be tough, but rewarding.
One problem I encountered was the fact that the new irrigation system that was just put in around the Islesmere greens followed the shrunk green contours....
We could only expand the greens to the limits created by the new sprinklers. Otherwise, we would have got sprinklers in the greens...
I have seen catch basins in greens at Gleneagles King's, but I wasn't about to try it with the sprinklers!
How about posting some pictures of Essex?