Construstion Overview continued

There was a bit of a hold up with the irrigation.  Before this project was ever started I tested the water pressure all over the property as well as getting all information needed from our local water utility company.  There are two streets adjacent to the property in which the main road is approximately 900 feet from the location of the green.  The other street runs along the same side of the property as the green.  My first thought and question to the water company was to install the new water meter nearest the green, on the side street.  They responded that that was out of the question and that the meter would need to be placed on the main road, 900 feet away.  If I
remember correctly it was a big 30 in. line with plenty of pressure and flow.  The pressure tested at 80 psi.  When the time came to install the meter, the water company did the opposite of what they said had to be done.  They said they couldn't tap into the 30 in. line on the main road so they tapped into the line on the side road, but did so where the side street intersects with the main road.  This resulted in a much lower pressure (50 psi) and flow rate.  I was lucky to get even a pee stream out of the sprinkler heads; talk about being bummed out!  After many phone conversations with the water company it was determined that there wasn't anything they could do to fix the problem.  Adding a booster pump was my only solution.

I finally felt comfortable ordering the grass, after seeing a proper working irrigation system.  The green was built on the expectations of using bent grass for the putting surface, but after much contemplation (by myself and the home owner) about level and intensity of maintenance, Champion Bermuda grass became the practical fit.  The sod was laid around the green first then the sprigs of Champion were applied.

  

 

spreading out the sprigs

 

The grow-in went as well as it could given the sub par condition the sprigs.  The shipping company came a day late with the sprigs which were ordered to be shipped overnight.  Luckily, the Champion supplier gave me the opportunity to pick up more sprigs from a job they were doing at a golf course, 70+ miles away.  The second dose of sprigs looked and performed much better than the first shipment.

Beginning to see some green



Close up of Champion sprigs sprouting new leaves



After alot of fertilizer and H2O!