One of the biggest updates to golf course maintenance this year has been the installation of the irrigation control system. I have taked about the installation and you maybe thought that it is now done and running, but that is also partially true.

We are discovering that there are some changes that make it easier to create new irrigation programs and make adjustments quickly.

One of the things that has been a real help is the dual monitors showed in this picture.

Duel monitors in the office

The second monitor is 51 inches and you may think that excessive, but when you are looking at 1,500 sprinkler heads on 100 acres that big monitor gives a much better representation of the course. The duel monitors also allow me to get Google earth up on the a monitor while looking at the irrigation map and programming spreadsheet.

I walk the course at least once a week and probe for wet and dry spots. I use a gps tracking app called my tracks and I put in markers for wet and dry spots. This kmz file is then loaded up on Google earth where I have created a layer of sprinkler head positions with their addresses. When I put the Google earth program up on the monitor next to the irrigation program it makes it really quick and efficient to adjust run times.


 Now, I recently got an I Pad that enables me to make changes while on the course, and I will be working on importing an Apple gps tracking app into the Toro program as a layer. At this time Toro does not provide this capability, so if you are reading this and are into this type of project, I would love some help figuring it out. After all I am in Silicon Valley, with a lot of very talented creative people.

Kevin