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Golf Courses Could Model Ballyneal
Linda Langelo, Horticultural Program Coordinator - Golden Plains
Area
Date: 1/25/2010
Questions? Contact
Me
Written by: Dave Hensley, Ballyneal Golf Course
Water use at
Ballyneal Golf Club in Holyoke, CO has been a hot topic to those involved in
the project since the idea was created in 2002. Ballyneal is built in the
inland Sand Dunes of Northeastern Colorado and the sand profile is deeper than
you can dig. Its grassing choices which consist of Fine Fescues, Colonial
Bentgrass, and Kentucky Bluegrass present a surface that mimics the traditional
playing surfaces of golf. The primary grass, a mix of five Fine Fescues,
generally likes a Mediterranean climate but can be very heat and drought
tolerant. We have sowed approximately ten different varieties of the Fescue
giving our turf stand many characteristics that thrive at different times of
the year.
Although we work hard at all aspects of stewardship our
biggest challenge is water conservation. The choice to use our water wisely
challenges the maintenance staff at Ballyneal to learn and practice watering
techniques that will ultimately present the best playing surface while
conserving our water inputs.
The irrigation system is equipped with
individual head control and a winter watering system. We continually monitor
turf conditions not only by aesthetic appearance above ground but also by what
the soil is telling us underground. The deep and infrequent irrigation
philosophy is our goal. We very rarely use over head irrigation if it is not a
scheduled irrigation event and never use over head irrigation on the greens to
spot water. We use soil probes that show what the soil needs in order to
provide the plant the water it needs to survive, not the amount it needs to
stay green. This is a science and we spend a lot of time training our employees
what not to water.
We have also spent a lot of time “tweaking”
and auditing our irrigation efficiency with individual heads and our computer
control system. We make changes daily in the field by adjusting run times for
areas receiving too much water. We can change percentages of run time in our
control system and this has greatly reduced water usage in areas that do not
require or were at one time over watered. Our irrigation heads also have
adjustable arcs and angles of throw so we can control wasteful watering into
native areas. We have recently done a thorough audit of each sprinkler head to
adjust the gallon per minute, radius, and the arc and angle. In 2008 we
conducted a nozzle inspection and conversion to control drift from the winds we
experience at Ballyneal.
We implement all drought management strategies,
these include; the use of wetting agents, eliminating irrigation in select
areas, reducing rough irrigation, hand watering, adjusting fertilization
practices, reducing fairway and tee irrigation, increasing mowing heights, and
modifying irrigation control systems.
It has been a challenge and
although we have had success we have also had some setbacks. As our turf
ecology grows water use will decline on the short grass we have currently. We
are proud of what we have achieved in the growing seasons of 2008 and 2009 as
we have applied approximately a third less water each year than what we have
used in each of the previous three years.
We are currently members of
the Audubon Society and sponsor the 4th Grade class at Holyoke Elementary
School in their efforts in the Audubon Society and educating about the
environment. We welcome the opportunity to show off our property and would be
happy to give you a tour of our stewardship efforts, our native habitat, or our
gardens. We are also constantly looking for volunteers to help with bird and
wildlife watching and inventories. Please call Dave Hensley (davehensley@ballyneal.com) at (970)
571-3901 with any inquiries.