By Design - Winter 2015

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like 2015 when there has been over 52
inches of rainfall in the first nine months
of the year, excess rainfall generates
huge quantities of storm water that must
be managed. The irrigation ponds can
be remotely switched from reclaimed
wastewater to storm water supply when
needed. The golf irrigation systems are
then used to distribute excess storm
water onto the golf courses.
Here’s one example of how the
golf courses aid in storm water
management: Bonifay is a recently
constructed 27-hole course with 250
acres of irrigated turf and a 3,600 gallon-
per-minute pump station. Following
recent heavy rains, one of the nines was
closed to golfers and storm water was
pumped through the irrigation system,
disposing of two million gallons of
water on the closed nine in less than 24
hours. The closed nine was re-opened
to golfers within two days with carts on
paths. The Villages was able to easily
and efficiently manage the excess storm
water with minimum disruption to
golfers and residents.
Twenty-three Rain BirdTM computer-
controlled irrigation systems are in
operation at The Villages golf courses.
They are designed to operate in a
highly-efficient manner using high-
uniformity sprinklers with state-of-
the-art control. Weather stations,
automated rain gauges, internet-based
handheld control and pump station
monitoring provide information that
enables superintendents to effectively
manage irrigation. This is important
in times of drought when reclaimed
wastewater is the primary irrigation
source and a valued commodity.
During wet periods, the systems
dispose of storm water. Lakes and
ponds act as storage retention basins to
provide flexibility to manage water use.
Courses built or renovated at The
Villages during the past six years have
incorporated the Rain Bird Integrated
Control (IC) System, a newer advanced
technology that eliminates field satellites
and reduces copper wire use by 90
percent compared to traditional satellite
systems. To date, 234 holes are operated
using this system. As older courses
are renovated, following The Villages’
long-term capital improvement plan,
updating to the IC System is considered.
Ezell describes the IC System as: “a
huge plus to the construction and long-
term operation of our golf courses. The
ease of installation and simplicity of
only having one wire on any given hole
makes it easy to phase in golf course
construction. Each station is single-head
control with IC and we have much more
flexibility which means we can grow in a
golf course faster.” He adds: “We expect
our long-termmaintenance costs to go
down as we have eliminated the field
controllers, which were our primary cost
of maintenance parts. The long term
savings should be significant with IC.”
As The Villages approaches
completion of the build-out, Ezell
reflects on the work that has been done
so far: “The golf courses have become
bigger as the development evolved
and we incorporated storm water and
wastewater management into golf
course design. Now the courses are
integral to the success of the entire
community. The residents love the golf
courses, although they are so much
more than just an amenity, they have
enabled us to optimize the space for
the developer and the residents and
create a community and golf courses
that are unique in the world.”•
Stuart Hackwell is International Sales
Manager at Rain Bird Corporation,
Irrigation ponds can be remotely switched from
reclaimed wastewater to storm water supply