Water Management

This year we purchased a soil moisture meter to improve our irrigation practises on the greens.  We have always checked the water content in the profile of the greens prior to running an irrigation cycle with a hand probe.  The hand probe would pull out a small core and we would squeeze it to determine the amount of moisture in the green.  The problem with this is it was hard to distinguish the difference from one area to another.  The new soil moisture meter will improve this process.  The meter will determine the volumetric water content of the soil.  The definition of volumetric water content is the ratio of the volume of water in a given volume of soil to the total soil volume.  Basically, we will be taking 24 readings off each green in the morning and late afternoon.  Parameters will be set as to how much water to give the greens given the percentage of the volumetric water content by the moisture meter.  The morning readings will tell us how much hand watering needs to be done and the late afternoon readings will tell us if greens need to be watered that evening.  There are some goals that we have associated with this new water management program:
1.  Improved playability.  The greens will play firmer and more consistent.
2.  Improved agronomics.  We will be watering when the plant really requires it.
3.  Improved training.  I will be able to train the staff proper watering balancing plant health and playability. 

Our intern James checks #7 green.