MJ Abbott Limited on target to complete installation at LA MOYE Golf Club

La Moye Golf Club is one of the most prestigious golfing venues in the Channel Islands.  The course is situated on the south west coast of Jersey overlooking St Ouen’s Bay and the sister islands of Guernsey & Sark.

The club was established in 1902 and has previously been a venue on the PGA European Tour, with such notable winners as Tony Jacklin, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle and Sam Torrance.  Since 1996 it has featured in the European PGA Seniors Tour.

The club contacted MJ Abbott Limited in 2004 when considering the replacement of their 25 year old irrigation system.  The golf course was duly surveyed and following consultations with the course manager, an irrigation system was designed in-house to provide watering to the greens, surrounds, approaches, fairways, tees, carrys, selected rough and walkways.

It quickly became apparent that the club needed to address issues with the existing water storage facility, construct a new reservoir and consider options for more efficient water harvesting. 

Following discussions and a structured tender process, MJ Abbott was appointed to carry out the replacement of the irrigation system in two phases.

Phase 1 began in November 2006 and was completed the following March.  It included the construction of the new water storage reservoir, the installation of an electrical supply for a new pump house and pumpstation, completion of a section of irrigation mainline pipework, pipework and cabling to existing boreholes and pipework for future water sourcing at the clubhouse.

MJ Abbott used and oversaw a local earthmoving contractor to remove the existing concrete water storage structures and construct the new reservoir.  Designed in-house, it measures 65 metres x 40 metres x 5 metres deep and is lined with a two-layer liner system and all the necessary underliner drainage, inlets and overflows. 

A new pumphouse and pumpstation were fabricated in-house and shipped to Jersey.  The new technologically advanced pump station is located adjacent to the reservoir and draws water via a large floating suction pipe.  Filters and an aerator were installed to protect the integrity of the water supply.   The pump station’s three-phase electric supply was extended from the green keepers’ compound some 260 metres away using cable that MJ Abbott imported in two four-tonne coils.

MJ Abbott constructed a large, trenched service corridor through the golf course along the route of the new electric cable.  Along with the cable, the service corridor includes new irrigation mainline pipework and future borehole / storm water feeds which terminate at the reservoir. 

Phase 2 of the installation began in October 2007 and is on target for a completion this March. 

Phase 2 includes the installation of a fully-automatic Rain Bird system to all areas of the golf course complete with radio remote control and a weather station.  Because of the high wind conditions on the golf course, the design incorporates Rain Bird wind-tolerant nozzles on Eagle series sprinklers, which operate at a much lower trajectory than traditional sprinklers.   

The Club employed the services of Robin Hume Associates Limited to oversee the irrigation design, specification and installation.  Club secretary Mr Ian Prentice commented: “Whilst the project is still in delivery phase, we have found both MJ Abbott and Robin Hume Associates to be professional, responsive and understanding of our requirements.  The restoration work post implementation continues to be of the highest quality.”

 

May 2008

 

 

M J Abbott Limited appointed for extensive works at Fairmont St Andrews

Specialist sports turf contractor MJ Abbott Limited has been appointed by St Andrews Bay Development Limited to carry out extensive remedial work to the Torrance Course at Fairmont St.  Andrews.

The re-modeling of the existing 18 holes has been designed by American architect Gary Stephenson, founder of The Linksmen Golf Design Group.

The work will result in subtle changes to the layout and routing of the course to enhance the golfing experience and to make the most of the staggering coastline and views over the historic town of St Andrews. 

The work commenced in January this year and includes the relocation and rebuilding of each tee to improve playability, turf condition and drainage.  The 12th green will be reconstructed and two additional greens, the 14th and 18th will be constructed in new locations.  Three new holes will also be constructed on the Devlin course.

Each bunker on the Torrance course will be reconstructed, re-sited and finished in the classic revetted style. 

Focusing on water as a feature and a commodity, the existing inland lake and irrigation reservoir will also be rebuilt and the lakes re-shaped, deepened and re-lined.  The existing water supply to the reservoir will be upgraded to meet the requirements of the new state-of-the-art irrigation system.  A new land drainage system has been designed to improve turf conditions and will be installed to each hole.

The work also includes the construction of the greens, tees and bunkers and provision of irrigation and drainage for three new holes which will become the starting holes of the new Devlin course.  Hugging the rocky shoreline they’ll be built in a more rugged style which will be the signature of the re-constructed championship course.

The re-opening of the Torrance course is currently scheduled for Spring 2009.

 

May 2008

 

 

ROCKLIFFE HALL: Part 1: A Jewel in the Golfing Crown for the North East

The country estate where Middlesbrough Football Club has a state-of-the-art training facility will soon be complemented by a new luxury leisure development.

Rockliffe Hall Limited is developing Rockliffe Hotel and Golf Resort on a 150-hectare complex adjacent to the Club’s prestigious training ground at Hurworth, near Darlington.  The brainchild of Middlesborough’s Chairman Steve Gibson, it is planned that the development will become the North East’s newest five-star leisure attraction.

The historic Rockliffe Hall, a run-down 19th Century mansion, is being sensitively converted and authentically renovated and refurbished to create a luxury 63-bedroom hotel.  The impressive red brick building with ashlar dressings, a patterned slate roof topped with ornate ridge tiles, and tall decorative chimneystacks, will form the main structure of the hotel complex.  However, it is also being vastly expanded with a grand, modern but sympathetically designed extension. 

Three restaurants, each offering the very finest in contemporary dining will be featured within the hotel to compliment its conference and banqueting suites.  Luxurious spa, health and beauty, and gym facilities will cater for everybody’s relaxation and fitness needs, offering the very best in treatments and accoutrements sourced from all over the world.

State of the art entertainment systems and the most comfortable and luxurious furnishings will be matched in its 18 self-catered apart-hotel style rooms, adjacent to the main hotel building,

A private housing development of 24 luxurious new homes, in keeping with the rest of the plans, completes a new look for Rockliffe Hall and a new talk-about destination in the North East.

The hotel and adjoining features will provide the very highest standards in comfort and leisure, unmatched and unrivalled in the North East, bringing together the very best in modern facilities in classical and historic surroundings.  Up to 500 jobs will be created in constructing and ultimately staffing the new development.

This attention to detail right the way across the development is going to make Rockliffe Hall a standout location that blends great history with luxurious and state-of-the-art additions.  It will be a must-see development for all visitors, not just from the region but also from across the UK and further afield, and will put the area firmly on the international sporting map.  Peter Hodges, from Shepherd Construction, the main building contractors for the site, said: "Maintaining, restoring and enhancing the hall's historical elements is the number one priority, and will help create a fantastically grand, yet contemporary new development."

The jewel in the crown for golf enthusiasts is an exclusive new golf course that, at over 7,800 yards from the back tees, will become one of Europe’s longest - a course that sensitively harmonises with the existing landscape whilst adding striking features that will make it one of the most exciting new courses in the UK.

The golf course is situated to the south of the Hall and covers an area of approximately 116.2ha.  The southern and eastern boundaries are defined by the River Tees.  Middlesborough Football Club’s training ground and sports complex lies immediately to the west.

Designed by Marc Westenborg of the renowned golf course design firm Hawtree Ltd., Oxford, and a Senior Member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects, the par 72 course combines modern with traditional, classic with dramatic.  The primary strength of any course lies in its routing - without a strong routing, a golf course can never be great.  It is the backbone of a course and underpins all the other elements of a notable design.  At Rockliffe Hall, Westenborg has brilliantly routed golf holes on difficult terrain in a bold and original fashion. 

Areas of wetland habitat have been introduced as part of flood attenuation measures.  The development introduces new landscape features and habitat areas into an area of farmland that was ecologically poor and devoid of any features of special landscape value.  New landform and planting will integrate the site into the surrounding countryside, creating a more diverse and visually richer landscape with a range of appropriate habitats.

A flood risk assessment was conducted during the planning phase and the course has been masterfully routed through the flood plain to serve this essential role whilst ensuring that the playability of the holes is not jeopardised.  Ever conscious of the environmental responsibilities of a golf course designer, Westenborg has preserved and even enhanced this vital wildlife habitat.

Guy Holmes, a director of Browne Smith Baker, principal architects for the Rockliffe Hall development said that creating the course on a flood plain had proved an immense challenge to the golf course designer and constructors.  "We have to accept floods and deal with them, and let the water go out sensibly.  It's been a very involved engineering exercise," he said.

It won’t be an easy course – far from it! It certainly is not a course for the faint hearted.  The strategy of the course will demand that golfers play creatively, considering a variety of options, controlling trajectory, and assessing different situations throughout a round.  It offers opportunities to be heroic, yet incorporates subtleties that will require the most delicate of touches.  It provides drama, yet sits comfortably in its tranquil setting.  Its length, variety, and strategic bunkering will make it one of the most testing courses for golfers of any ability.

An extensive driving range, grass-roofed clubhouse and practice area completes what will be one of the most enjoyable and best-presented golf facilities in Europe

But the creation of a great golf course does not lie solely in the hands of an architect.  It requires collaboration between many disciplines – designer, hydrologist, ecologist, constructor, and maintenance team.

Master golf course constructors MJ Abbott Limited have moved almost 1 million cubic metres of earth during construction and have designed and installed complex gravity and pumped drainage systems.  They have also installed a state of the art Rainbird irrigation system to greens, surrounds, tees and fairways. 

Due to be opened in June 2009, MJ Abbott will have completed all aspects of the construction including earth moving, shaping, drainage, irrigation, cultivation, lake construction, landscaping, and early maintenance.  Commenting on the highly testing layout, Contracts Director Nigel Wyatt said, "The vision applied to the plans is second to none.  Not only will it be a stunning course, but the distance from the back tees will make it a challenge for even the world's greatest golfers."

The recently appointed Course Manager, David Cuthbertson, speaks highly of the workmanship of the MJ Abbott team, “I enjoy a great relationship with the contractors and their attention to detail reassures me that I won’t be plagued by hidden faults, a curse that all too often occurs with new constructions.  They’ve worked to the highest standards and are prepared to go that extra mile to make things right”. 

Constructed to USGA recommendations, the greens are seeded with a blend of creeping bentgrass varieties (Penn A4 and G6) and will be maintained to the highest standards.  A fleet of Toro equipment will make up the bulk of the machinery inventory and David anticipates a staff of 16, comprising 12 full-time and 4 casuals, including a mechanic and irrigation technician, by the time the course is open for play.

David, who was at Slaley Hall for 12 years before accepting the post at Rockliffe, is a staunch Sunderland FC fan but is now proud of his association with Middlesborough FC.  He welcomes the challenges and responsibilities of such a prestigious development and is fully aware of its economic and historical importance to the area.    

 

 

Rockliffe Hall, as we know it today, is a Grade II listed building and is steeped in grand North East history.  Original plans for the hall date back to 1774, but it wasn’t until the 1800’s that the Hall and the estate started taking shape.  Records from the 1820’s list it as being known as Pilmore House.  Then, the Pilmore Estate belonged to Robert Surtees of Redworth, a celebrated Co.  Durham Historian and was habited by his more famous cousin, landscape painter Thomas Surtees Raine.

In 1851 the estate came under the ownership of Alfred Backhouse, a Quaker banker, and major developments were made.  He built Pilmore Hall on the land for himself and his wife, Rachel, a member of the Barclay family, also of banking fame.  Pilmore Hall was an elegant mansion with magnificent facilities for hunting and fishing. 

Soon after gaining ownership, Backhouse swiftly commissioned fellow Quaker and relative by marriage, Alfred Waterhouse to rebuild much of the main building and re-landscape the estate. 

The estate stayed in the Backhouse family until 1897, when a Captain Forester bought it as a sporting estate.  During his occupancy, the estate switched names from Pilmore to Rockliffe. 

Later, a Colonel R.  Clayton Swan purchased it, and, in 1918, the Earl of Southampton bought the estate and lived there on and off until 1948.  Lord Southampton was a keen horseman and Master of Foxhounds and an even keener cricket fan.  He had a pitch laid out on the estate so that his workers could play the locals from Croft Cricket Club.  Croft and Hurworth cricketers and the Rockliffe estate workers eventually merged to form one club, Rockliffe Park Cricket Club, of which Lord Southampton was the first president.  Rockliffe Park C C still exists and the team plays on the same pitch to this day.

The Rockliffe Park estate was bought by the Brothers of St John of God and converted into a hospital in 1950.  Some 18 years later Durham County Council compulsorily purchased it for use as a Community Centre.

Sadly, it stood empty for several years and was left to petty vandals until, in 1996, Middlesbrough Football Club bought Rockliffe Park, where it established its new training facilities.

The estate has not been without incident.  In 1903 and again in 1974, buildings were badly damaged by fire.  In 1944 a light aircraft crashed into the grounds, luckily missing any buildings and causing only damage to trees and the landscape.  It has even had its brush with stardom and parts of the grounds were used as backdrop for some scenes from the Michael Caine hit Get Carter in 1971.

It would now appear that Rockliffe Park is destined to enjoy stardom once again!

This report will be updated later in the year.

 

 

April 2008

 

 

 

BURNHAM BEECHES  Golf Club – Irrigation system

Founded in 1891, Burnham Beeches is the oldest club in Buckinghamshire.  It was started by a group of local worthies who called a public meeting in the village school.  A site was found on the edge of the 500 acres of historic woodland that had been bought by the Corporation of the City of London in 1880, and which gives the club its name.  The course was opened on 5 December 1891 when 35 players took part in the first competition.  The winner, an Eton housemaster named P V Broke, went round in 97 - the only player to break 100!

It may come as some surprise that 17 of the founding members were ladies.  One of the better known members over the years was Lady Astor, the first woman to take a seat in the House of Commons, who was a member at Burnham from 1930 to 1962.  The present-day ladies still play an important role at the club.

Over the years many famous golfers have played the course, including the Great Triumvirate of James Braid, J H Taylor and Harry Vardon who, between them, won the (British) Open no less than 16 times.  Other stars include many Ryder Cup players such as Percy Allis and his son Peter, Ken Bousfield, Dai Rees, David Thomas, Bernhard Langer and Seve Ballesteros. 

The club contacted MJ Abbott Limited in the autumn of 2006 following a particularly dry summer.  The existing irrigation system to greens and tees only was old and had become inadequate and unreliable.  The greenkeeping team were finding it increasingly difficult to provide the quality of playing surface that the club required. 

The brief  for the new system included the design and build of a system incorporating greens and surrounds, tees, carrys and fairways.

One of the main concerns was the provision of an adequate water supply.  The old system incorporated a small above ground water storage tank and an existing borehole.

It was clear from the outset that the new system would require a significant increase in water use due to the inclusion of fairway irrigation.  We were able to keep this to a minimum with the use of part circle sprinklers situated on the edge of fairways irrigating the fairway areas only as opposed to the full circle sprinkler that would tend to irrigate the semi rough and rough.

Having now designed the system we had calculated the expected daily requirement for water, it was clear that the existing borehole would not cope with the demands of the new system. 

If the club were to invest heavily in a new system consideration had to be given to the reliability of the water source.  From 2004 – 2006 a number of water companies within the region were granted drought orders which may restrict the use of water from mains or borehole supplies.

Our suggestion was to build a water storage reservoir, which was designed to accommodate the annual use of water for irrigation.  Thought was given to the size and shape of the proposed new reservoir, limiting the effect of evaporation, whilst also dealing with the issues of aeration.

With regard to the supply of water we looked at the possibilities of rainwater harvesting and designed a system to fill the reservoir from rainwater from the roofs of the clubhouse and outbuildings, roads and car parks and adjacent areas. 

The club has a license to abstract water during the summer months from the borehole which supplements the rainwater harvesting system.

Works commenced on the construction of the reservoir and the installation of the new system in February 2007.  It was imperative to complete the reservoir quickly to make use of the remaining winter rains in order to fill the reservoir for use during 2007.  The  reservoir was completed on time and the irrigation system was ready for use for the summer of 2007.

The club employed the services of Irritech Ltd to check the MJ Abbott irrigation design, specification and to oversee the installation.

 

April 2008

 

 

SUNNINGDALE Golf Club

From an architectural standpoint – indeed, from pretty much any standpoint – Sunningdale is one of the most significant venues in golf.  Set in the famous golfing heathland west of London that is also home to the courses at Swinley Forest, The Berkshire and Wentworth, it is one of the first and finest examples of inland architecture. Its courses, the Old and New, were laid out by two pioneering golf architects, respectively Willie Park Jr in 1901 and Harry Colt in 1923.  It was on the Old course that, in 1926, Bobby Jones played his fabled ‘perfect’ round of 66, made up entirely of threes and fours and requiring 33 putts.

Factor in the additional and welcome pressure that – with an entry criteria of a 12 or below handicap – the membership comprises experienced and high calibre golfers with a keen interest in course layout, and any reticence to change is understandable.

But a century is plenty of time for nature to change the landscape, and for maintenance regimes to completely redefine the style of bunkering.  So leaving such important courses alone is a greater sin.

Murray Long was appointed course manager at Sunningdale in 2006, having previously worked at Coombe Hill and been involved first-hand in the well regarded renovation programme undertaken by Ken Moodie and team at Creative Golf Design.  There, as at Sunningdale, the steady ingress of trees had diluted the heathland nature of the course and, along with bunker renovation, a tree removal programme has improved the character of the course.

In architectural circles, trees are often considered to be the enemy, as Long explains: “Trees can inhibit sunlight and airflow and prohibit the development of heather and grasses that provide a desirable heathland character.”  As trees grow into the line of play, the strategy of holes can change.

To many golfers, tree-lined fairways appeal, framing each hole and adding a sense of isolation and maturity.  This view is particularly understandable on Sunningdale’s Old, and there can be few other courses that are such a pleasure to walk.  Every turn seems to offer something new and enticing, a journey through woods and heath that offers immense appeal to golfers, often accompanied by their four-legged companions.

Herein lies the dilemma for Sunningdale; how to reap the benefits of its ideal heathland terrain without losing the character that has evolved over the years.  Secretary Stephen Toon explains their first step, “Being acutely aware of the historical importance of our golf courses, we wanted to take a considered, informed and professional approach to any course modifications.”

With this in mind the club contacted the European Institute of Golf Course Architects to invite its members to register their interest in working with the club.  A process of shortlisting and individual discussions followed, until Martin Hawtree was selected as consulting architect and invited to undertake a review of the courses.

Hawtree’s extensive experience with the work of Colt no doubt contributed to this choice.  It is Colt’s hand that is most evident at Sunningdale.  In addition to designing the New course, Colt had a significant impact on the early evolution of the Old course during his tenure as secretary, in particular to accommodate the arrival of the Haskell ball, which travelled up to 20 per cent further than the gutty that was in use when Park laid out the course.

As Bruce Critchley put it in GCA: “Colt saw it as his vocation to bring in angles and bends, slopes and undulations, the soft curves of nature.”  Colt liked man-made hazards to look natural.  Like Hawtree’s recent project on Colt’s layout at Toronto Golf Club, the natural, rugged styling of the bunkers has disappeared with time, with their edges being smoothed as a result of a century of play and maintenance.

Upon production of a course policy document, the team was completed with the appointment of course construction firm MJ Abbott Limited, who had previously worked with Sunningdale on an irrigation project and with Hawtree on bunker work at St George’s Hill.  The first project to be undertaken by the team – something of a pilot to test the membership’s appetite for change – was to stiffen the challenge of the third hole on the Old course, a driveable par four. The green complex had become a bit bland over time, with shallow, featureless bunkers and little in the way of contouring in the surrounds. 

Russell Talley, from Hawtree, explains how they introduced additional shaping to the green complex: “Some contouring to the left of the green seemed typical of Colt, so we used this as inspiration for shaping around the green.”

The bunkers have been deepened and the banks built up, with heather planted to roll over the banks and into the sandflashed faces.  Talley adds “The resulting effect is a sense that the green complex has been tightened up, and the penalty for missing the green is more severe.  With new bunkers front left and right, the tee shot decision between laying up or going for the green requires more thought and the balance between risk and reward has been improved.”

So strategically the new hole has more to offer, but it has also been visually transformed.  A pair of fairway bunkers visible from the tee but rarely in play have  been given a makeover, and provide a great taste of what to expect around the green.

Toon explains that the membership embraced the work, “In many cases, the  consultative process between architect and membership led to more significant changes than originally discussed.”  It opened the way for more work, including the famous tenth hole, where fairway bunkers have been repositioned and set at an angle to the line of play, while the greenside bunkers have been given shape and character that Colt would surely approve of.

It is clear that every detail has been given a huge amount of attention by Hawtree.  Course manager, club secretary and constructor all testify to his insistence on getting every undulation precisely right.  Steve Briggs of MJ Abbott explains, “We worked very closely with Martin to get the contouring exactly how he wanted.  Often it would be a case of making small, incremental changes until the desired effect was achieved”.

Toon adds that the key to success has been “the high quality of interaction within the team, between architect, constructor and course manager”.

Perhaps the most striking work at Sunningdale is taking place on the New course. Historic photos – famously of the short fifth hole – show an open backdrop of heath, with just a few copses of trees in the distant background.  Over time this area had become heavily wooded, constraining the growth of heather and probably hindering the pace of play as golfers searched for lost balls.

Course manager Murray Long has championed extensive removal of trees throughout the course, and is transforming the landscape back towards its early-twentieth century state.  Vistas have been opened up and the heather is already beginning to flourish in cleared areas.  Toon believes that the tree removal work on the New “sharpens the contrast between the courses”, providing golfers with memorable and different experiences.

In addition to this tree clearance work, significant reshaping has also taken place.   The biggest single project has been in the area surrounding the first tee and the eighteenth green.  A larger, wider teeing ground has been added to the first so it can serve as a practice teeing ground during the 2008 Women’s British Open, and other professional events such as The 2009 Senior Open Championship.

In the area to the left of the eighteenth green, a ‘quarry’ effect has been created.  Where previously there was a steady slope up towards the clubhouse and green, there is now an area of hollows and mounds covered with rough grasses and heather, providing a much more natural surround.  The previously revetted greenside bunker has been transformed to one with Colt characteristics, and two further bunkers have been added in the approach to this par five which introduce a greater element of strategy on a hole that had become less challenging as technology has progressed.

One side-effect of the work to Sunningdale’s courses is that some of the bunkers that have not been reconstructed are now conspicuous by their lack of character.  But Long’s greenkeeping team is handling some of the work in-house, with MJ Abbott being called upon when the work becomes a little heavier.

Next on the agenda is the 16th hole on the Old course, where bunker reshaping work is proposed, in particular to enhance the visibility and severity of the ‘necklace‘ of bunkers short of the green approach.  The visual deception offered by these traps will be more convincing and combined with repositioning of the fairway bunkers, should give the golfer more reason to stop and think before playing their shot.

Assuming the work continues, Sunningdale will further enhance its current position as home to two of the game’s premier courses.  It is incredibly refreshing to see work that is having such a profound and positive effect on character and challenge, without relying on the addition of yards.  Even more so on courses that regularly host golf ’s best players.

 

April 2008

 

 

Automatic system makes for efficient irrigation at top school

A good school emphasises its academic achievements and prides itself on fulfilling the potential of its pupils.   A truly great school also recognises the importance of competitive sport and allocates the budget to provide excellent sporting facilities.   St John’s School in Northwood, Middlesex is a great school, dedicating itself to sporting as well as academic prowess.   When it decided to create two new rugby pitches it wanted the very best given the limitations imposed by the steepness of the only available site.   The new pitches would be subjected to considerable usage and needed an excellent drainage and irrigation system that would cope with excess water from the myriad of underground streams that flowed through the hillside.

The brief was to construct two rugby pitches on a particularly difficult and steep site.   The work involved stripping the topsoil, cutting and filling 4,000m³ of earthworks and replacing the topsoil.   Primary and secondary drainage systems complete with attenuation tank at outfall had to be installed as well as a fully automatic irrigation system to the new pitches and one existing pitch.   Sand importation, cultivation and seeding would complete the task.

MJ Abbott Limited were awarded the contract: “We won this project through competitive tender” explained Nathan George, Contracts Manager for MJ Abbott.   “This was not just a matter of price, as we never compromise on quality, but on the basis that we have completed several projects for other prestigious schools such as Merchant Taylors’, Harrow and Latymer and can apply an enviable degree of experience to any project we undertake.”

This particular project posed an interesting dilemma with regard to a number of underground streams running through the hillside that were discovered during the original inspection process.  Richard Ayling, Grounds Manager of nearby Merchant Taylors’ School and Grounds Advisor to St John’s, was concerned about the possibility of landslides and slippage which could have a disastrous effect on the pitches, negating all the work that had been done to create them.  To combat this, MJ Abbott had the unusual task of bringing in a 15 ton excavator to install 400 metres of 6m deep drainage into the hillside to drain water from these streams.  Having achieved the removal of the threat of excess water, the objective was then to install a system to deliver water in a controlled way.

Many schools opt for a travelling sprinkler system for irrigation.  This usually comprises of a system set up and turned on by the groundsman.  Once it has finished a given area it has to be manually moved to the next site and the process is often repeated three or four times.  The groundsman generally has to operate during daylight hours which will inevitably restrict use of the pitches.  St John’s School chose to install a fully automatic system that enables the water to be applied at night when no evaporation takes place and does not require supervision. 

The system comprised of Rain Bird Eagle 750 and 1150 sprinklers located around the perimeters of the pitches and Rain Bird rotors complete with turf caps through the centre of them.  This allows the application of an even distribution of water over the entire area.  The designed application rates used are 4.3mm per day (30mm per week) which can be applied automatically during the night and takes three hours per pitch.  The system is operated from a Rain Bird MDC-50 wall-mounted controller located in the groundsman’s office.

Richard did have some reservations about having sprinklers in the pitch.  “We were worried that the sprinklers may prove an obstacle with the kids falling on them or getting their feet caught in the sprinkler hole (the sprinklers are set 1” below ground level).  However, this health and safety issue was easily addressed with the specially designed turf caps recommended by the contractor.  The caps for the 8005 rotor are plastic cups which are fitted onto the sprinkler before being filled with turf.  They are then barely visible but protect the both player and sprinkler from accidental damage. 

Maintenance of the irrigation system is MJ Abbott’s responsibility.  “We start the system up in the spring which involves starting the pump station, turn on the water supply, fill the mains pipe workup with the water, get the controller started and check the groundsman’s irrigation schedules / programmes” said Nathan.  “We also check the settings of the sprinkler arcs and carry out a full system run-through with the controller, giving the groundstaff a refresher on the procedure at the same time.  In the autumn we shut down the system by draining the water from the pipe work and sprinklers, blowing compressed air through them to remove any remaining water.  Then we turn off the pump station and drain water from the pumps before disconnecting the controls.  All left ready for re-commissioning the following year.”

“We’re really pleased with the irrigation system,” said Richard.  “It has proved extremely effective and reliable with little maintenance required on our part.  In fact the whole project has been a huge success.  MJ Abbott has an eye for detail that is admirable and we wouldn’t hesitate to use them again in the future.”

 

April 2008

 

 

EIGCA - Sponsorship

MJ Abbott Limited is pleased to announce it is sponsoring the European Institute of Golf Course Architects AGM and Study Tour.  This event is being held in Girona, Spain during the week of 7th -14th April 2008.  MJ Abbott personnel will also attend this event.

 

April 2008