Perfect green with modern pump technology:
It's not just the English who hold the turf sacred; greenkeepers around the world try to wrest perfect tees, fairways and greens from nature.
The initial situation
The golf course at Habsberg was built over 20 years ago together with one of the best golf course architects in the world, Graham Marsh. The result is a premium course that is unparalleled in the region in terms of design and construction. Many people now call the Habsberg golf course the "Tuscany of the Upper Palatinate". In fact, during the season - in summer temperatures - you get the impression of being on vacation. The golf course at Habsberg has been one of the Leading Golf Clubs of Germany for over 15 years and has been one of the best courses in the whole of Germany ever since. To maintain this standard, proper turf care is of great importance. The greenkeepers have to contend with extreme heat, a lack of rain and, due to climate change, an increase in heavy rainfall. An optimally functioning irrigation system is therefore essential for professional lawn care. In 2021, the irrigation control units had to be replaced after the entire system of the old system failed. The reasons for this were excessive switching frequency, overloading of the system due to a lack of monitoring of the operating conditions and outdated control technology. For the new system, SPECK Pumpen provided support right from the planning phase with various individual options that were specially tailored to the golf course in order to modernize and systematize the irrigation technology. With this assistance, a customized solution for the complex irrigation system was quickly and purposefully found and implemented in just under three months.
The implementation
A total of 709 sprinklers are installed on the approximately 25-hectare area, which provide irrigation at night. An average of 12,000 m³ of water is used in a summer month. The water required is taken from an existing well shaft, which is fed by a pond. The water is filtered via natural weirs in a stream inlet. In order to guarantee the quality of the course in the long term, the right irrigation technology is the be-all and end-all for the greenkeepers. Every site is different and has its own individual spatial characteristics: Crests, plains and depressions. This posed a particular challenge because the entire golf course had to be modeled so that a differentiated and precise irrigation plan could be created. Previously there was only 'on' or 'off' and now the course has double fairway irrigation and individually controllable sprinklers on the greens. Thanks to the new frequency-controlled pump technology, the amount of water can be used in a way that conserves resources and sustainably reduces energy consumption. Thanks to the modern smartphone control system, the greenkeeper team can easily access the control units and irrigate the various fairways at any time.
We chose SPECK pumps because of the high product quality. We were completely convinced by the reliable and competent all-round service during the entire project. From support with the planning and installation to the instruction of our greenkeepers and the after-sales service, everything was just right.<<
The technology
Through a detailed analysis of the conditions, the requirements and the system characteristics, the pump system and the control system were efficiently matched and dimensioned to the individual demand quantities between "full-gas irrigation" and "small consumers". Three SUPS 6-48-10 submersible pumps and a small SUPS 4-14-17 leakage pump from SPECK are installed in the well shaft, which is connected to the adjacent pond. The central control unit and speed control are located in the technical room of the system. Together with the control system, the pumps can be adapted to individual requirements. The control range is enormous, with a theoretical maximum possible water volume of around 80 m³/h at 8 bar and a minimum volume of around 4 m³/h through the leakage pump. The advantage of a small leakage pump, also known as a jockey pump, is that the main pumps do not always have to be activated briefly for small consumers such as the greenkeeper's cleaning work or in the event of leaks in the 22-kilometer pipe network. The system always guarantees a constant outlet pressure. This pressure protects the pipe network and is particularly important to allow the geared sprinklers to drive out of the ground. By adjusting the speed of all pumps, this pressure can be guaranteed regardless of the quantity required. The process always starts with the jockey pump. If this pump is unable to maintain the set output pressure due to an excessive decrease, the large pumps take over. When the demand decreases again, the large pumps switch back one after the other until only the small pump is still working. This reduces wear and tear and energy costs are lower. In addition, pressure surges can be avoided, which can occur due to the temporarily high filling volume and lead to pipe bursts. With the help of a GSM module, any error messages from the system and control unit are sent to the greenkeepers' smartphones via SMS text messages. At the same time, the current status of the system can be queried via SMS to the control system.
Jura Golf Park
The Jura Golf Park offers the perfect home for golfers of all levels from the Nuremberg metropolitan region. With its three courses and a total of 45 holes, it is the largest golf course in the whole of northern Bavaria. In addition to the public 9-hole course and the Hilzhofen championship course, the Jura Golf Park also has one of Germany's top courses in its portfolio, the Golfplatz am Habsberg. The Graham Marsh Design Course at Habsberg is the top course in the Jura Golf Park and impresses with very large, fast and moderately undulating greens as well as varied and fair fairways. Three different men's and two women's tees per hole leave nothing to be desired in terms of a suitable challenge. On June 22, 2002, none other than Colin Montgomerie opened this fantastic golf course with the tee shot of the golden ball.
