Client Profile
Awatere Golf Club is a 9 hole course in South Marlborough comprising a 5,484 metre course, clubhouse and functions lawn. The parkland style course is home to around 90 members, servicing the Awatere community since the 1930s. Ten hectares of adjacent land is planted in vineyard, growing Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.
Project Overview
Awatere Golf Club is a 9 hole course in Southern Marlborough. Located on the lower and intermediate terraces of the Awatere Valley, the course is built on excessively drained soils formed from coarse and loamy greywacke alluvium and is prone to extreme dryness in summer.
The club approached SWE to install an irrigation system for the course and an adjacent vineyard – to increase productivity and attract new players to the course.
Solution
The new SWE-designed system was designed and installed with hi-spec components to maximise long-term return on investment. A hunter 2-wire controller turbine pump was installed, with the capacity to pull 14 litres/second from the Awatere River. Water was delivered through hi-spec stainless steel pop-ups from 6km of PVC and poly pipe.
The finish was exceptionally important for this project, to maintain the integrity and appearance of the greens.
Results
Stage One was completed and tested in July 2013, with 80% of the course under irrigation. Summer 2013/2014 was the first year under usage.
What the Client Said
“The guys at SWE have been brilliant. They’ve dug kilometres of trenches through the vineyards and right through the fairways and you can barely see where they’ve been. They’ve left everything looking great and we look forward to welcoming Blenheim players out here to play on our nice green grass in summer.”
Club President Brian Ball
