The crew has put the irrigation system to the test this summer, in which heat and drought conditions still prevail. A necessity on any course, it has definitely proven its worth this season. The system and pump house put out over 270,000 gallons of water a night, through 1500 odd sprinkler heads and a couple miles of PVC pipe. With the sheer number of heads on the course and the amount of water being applied, constant checking and maintenance of the system is required. Breaks will happen and the members have probably seen sections of the course staked off because of soft conditions. The crew tries to remedy the situation as fast as possible and we appreciate the concern members show when these breaks occur in areas of play.
Moisture management is key, especially if the demands on the course call for constant firm and fast conditions. Watering heavily will meet the demands of the turf, but can lead to soft greens and fairways, higher disease pressure from fungal pathogens and compaction (saturated soils compact extremely quickly when traffic is added to the equation). On the other end of the spectrum, watering lightly will provide that coveted firm surface but one will see losses in turf density, poor color and overall weakened stands of grass. Light, frequent irrigation is the trend of most golf courses but other factors come into play as well. Soil types, elevation and amount of sunlight have to be taken into account. Each micro environment calls for a different watering pattern, and automatic sprinkler heads are limited in this aspect.
Because of those limitations, hand watering is often utilized, especially here at Meadowbrook. Hand watering allows a crew member to apply the desired amount of water to a certain area. Admittedly, accuracy depends on the skill of the crew member but a superintendent will train an employee to recognize areas of wilt and heat stress and to water accordingly.
Another benefit of hand watering is the ability to syringe the turf. Syringing involves a very light amount of water to drop the temperature of the grass in times of extreme heat. Enzymes that facilitate necessary chemical reactions within the cell do not perform efficiently at high temperatures and a cooling of the turf is necessary. 
