Digital Compaction and Soil Moisture Meters in use at Wisley Golf Club
Paul Andrews, Irrigation Technician, at Wisley Golf Club began training at college in horticulture however after a placement at his local golf club has been in the greenkeeping industry for 15 years. In Spring 2012 Paul purchased from EnviroMonitors three FieldScout TDR300 Soil Moisture meters and one SC900 Soil Compaction meter for improved water monitoring of The Wisley courses. They have found the units to be quick and simple to use. Wisley Golf Club is a private members club in Surrey which opened in 1991. The club is situated 30 mins from the west end on the A3 and M25 junction with the River Wey running through part of the course and the Wey navigation along one side. The soil type for the site ranges from river sands through to clay.
Paul advises the TDR300’s were purchased for Wisley to “better manage the water content in the soil and manage our water resource more effectively. We wanted to move away from the ‘feel’ method and have a more measured approach with set parameters to work within”. The readings Paul and his team take are used so they only water when the soil conditions require. Paul has now developed a routine where “during the season the TDR is taken out every day by myself, and I asses greens and tees to see how they are performing”. The next stage is to “train the first assistant greenkeepers responsible for each nine holes how to use them so that when they are out checking areas for watering they can check first before watering to ensure the areas actually need it. They will then inform myself or the head greenkeeper so we can ensure whether hand watering will suffice or if there is extra watering needed in the irrigation program for those areas”.
“The SC900 was purchased so we can check on trafficked areas to ensure we are getting the best results from the decompaction machine” comments Paul. The compaction meter will be used to assess areas before and after aeration to ensure maximum efficiency in these areas through the season. Combining the compaction and soil moisture processes means Paul and his team “can ensure areas that are compacted are not over watered and have sufficient aeration done to them through the season”.
As the recording software is included with both units we are able to “keep the data on computer and produce reports about how areas are doing” mentions Paul, “it also allows us to show results the members and help justify why we need to carry out aeration work at certain times of the year”. The whole team at Wisley can see “the benefits to using this as it will allow us to better manage our course and resources” confirms Paul.
Paul finds that the best aspects of the units are that “they give fast accurate measurements and are easy to use and are a strong and robust product”. Paul’s experience of the team at EnviroMonitors is “they are always helpful and give you clear and accurate advice and have a good knowledge of the product range and what will suit you needs”.
Looking ahead, Wisley are wishing to update their old weather station with an automated MeteoVue system with soil moisture and temperature sensors. Paul would also like to get SpecMaps ProTurf so he can analyse the information from his TDR300s and SC900 more efficiently, and also a IR crop temp/external soil temp meter for the winter to have a more accurate reading of soil temp during cold weather.
Since writing the above EnviroMonitors have supplied Wisley Golf Club with a further TDR100 Soil Moisture Meter.
