For Head Greenkeeper Stephen Leighton, the installation of a new Rain Bird irrigation system provided by Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS) has been transformative! Part of a course-wide redevelopment programme, the system is
delivering unprecedented control over applications resulting in significant reductions in overall water usage and improvements in plant health.

The heathland-parkland course sits on a free- draining sandy soil, presenting challenges for Stephen and the team of five when it comes to maintaining turf quality through increasingly unpredictable weather conditions. This made the replacement of an aging and progressively unreliable irrigation system a priority. “I was racking up the hours monitoring the system in the evenings and found myself constantly battling breakdowns” he explains. “We evaluated the options and opted for a new Rain Bird system based on the reliability and flexibility it offered and the fantastic support and advice of Origin’s Greg Milton, Peter Robin and Angus Finlayson.”

Stephen continues, “One of the most significant differences and improvements has been the move from an outdated block system on the greens and single-row fairways, to valve in head Rain Bird 752IC and a double row of 952IC on fairways. This enables us to be much more precise with every application, adapting to wind strength and direction and limiting the amount of water thrown into heather and long roughs.” “In numbers, this system and more efficient control has resulted in around a 50% reduction in our water usage. This is incredibly important for us not just from a sustainability standpoint but also in terms of plant health and the condition of our heather which is improving now that we can control the water more effectively and ensure it is not being overwatered.”

Making life even easier for Stephen and the team is the Rain Bird CirrusPro app, putting total control of the irrigation system in the palm of their hands. “OAS were selling this as the best software in the irrigation market and, having worked with it, I’d say that’s absolutely true! It makes monitoring so much quicker and easier, with any identified dry areas overcome with the touch of a button.”

Beyond the technology itself, Stephen credits the OAS team for making sure the project ran smoothly from concept to completion and beyond. “While I designed the system myself, Greg, Peter and Angus have all been fantastic at helping us to get the maximum out of the system.” He adds, “I must also give huge credit to my team here at Holme Hall for getting the system installed. It’s been a massive team effort and it’s great to already be reaping the rewards of all the hard work.”