Newslines Summer 2019

Irrigation Solutions 10 . news lines . summer 2019 at work Toro and Reesink have long advocated innovation through renovation in its irrigation strategy, but more often than not customers have a sprinkler upgrade rather than the integration of a central control system. Innovation renovation at Blackpool North Shore Blackpool North Shore p rovides a classic example of how, when it comes to renovation with Toro, it doesn’t matter which part of the system needs replacing, success is sure to follow. With stage one of the irrigation refit complete with the successful – and quick – installation of a Toro Lynx central control system, course manager Andy Moore, pictured, says Lynx triumphed thanks to its technological benefits and the thorough and comprehensive demonstration provided by Reesink. Installation was completed by Rob Green from Green Irrigation in just a couple of days to deliver Blackpool North Shore a system more than capable of working with any sprinkler or weather station, no matter its age or brand. As long as the correct sprinkler data is entered into Lynx, whatever brand of sprinkler is being used – and all can be catered for – the result will be accurate watering, as Andy confirms: “The Lynx system has delivered a level of accuracy and consistency we haven’t had in many years.” Some have credited Toro’s Lynx control system with bringing industry buzzwords ‘interchangeable’ and ‘future-proof’ irrigation to life, and Blackpool North Shore is the latest living proof of how simple and quick it is to deliver that kind of improvement. Technology – and Toro – have proven that one simple change, done in a couple of days, can make all the difference. It was word of mouth and recommendations from nearby customers that saw Upminster Golf Club opt for Toro irrigation. When Andy Cracknell assumed his new post as course Toro more than up for the job at Upminster manager at Upminster Golf Club two years ago, one of his first projects was overseeing the installation of a new irrigation system, all he had to do was choose who to go with. And it was fellow golf clubs in the vicinity of the club in Essex that made a potentially difficult decision straightforward, says Andy: “Some neighbouring clubs in the M25 area were using Toro irrigation and getting great results. The ground here is London clay and can be particularly difficult to work with, which meant I paid close attention to their experience using Toro irrigation, mainly the Lynx central control system. Everyone was raving about how effective it was.” Clay soil needs to maintain a steady moisture level as it’s easily damaged when dug up or walked on if it gets overly wet or dry, hence the reason why the combination of Lynx and Infinity sprinklers, which can be accessed from the top down, appealed so much to Andy. “It was so important to have a system that offered us the ability to irrigate specifically to our soil’s unique needs,” he says. “When treated in the right way clay-based soil has the potential to be really fertile and we’re starting to see the positive difference this level of control is bringing to the quality of the soil.” Apart from ease of use and better-quality turf, Andy says the benefits for going with Toro don’t stop there: “We’ve been using the system for seven months now and we’re definitely making a saving on the amount of water we’re using. We used to use about 70 cube of water a night on the greens but we’re using around 30 now. When you’re irrigating off the mains that’s significant.” Course manager, Andy Cracknell, right, with Robert George , Full Circle Irrigation. Andy Moore Course manager