Golf Fairways Irrigation

Irrigation should be applied sparingly, if at all, although some courses have automatic irrigation installed and will be utilising this to create a green fairway during the drier months.

It is arguable whether fairway irrigation is needed in many situations and is an unnecessary luxury whose resources could have been better spent, or save, elsewhere.

Considerable quantities of water can be consumed by watering fairways and whether many fairways should be regularly irrigated during dry spells is a decision to be made by the course manager, in accordance with any course policy document agreed by the management team.

Selected irrigation to aid seed germination and establishment on renovated and divoted areas may be sufficient for many courses, especially those aiming to retain a more natural character to links and heathland courses.

Other courses may require additional and more regular irrigation during prolonged dry spells to reduce undesirable surface cracking and sward thinning occurring, whilst other courses will aim for green coloured fairways throughout the year.

Encouraging the development of a deep-rooted sward with maintenance practices focused on achieving this outcome will significantly reduce the need for fairway irrigation.