Paradise Valley Country Club in Arizona has adopted a new approach to water use and conservation.

Designed and developed by California-based Harvey Mills Design, Paradise Valley’s new irrigation system is enabling a reduction in water usage and an increase in irrigation efficiency, reducing the course’s drain on Scottsdale’s potable water supply.

Like many 1980s courses, Paradise Valley’s irrigation system didn’t take advantage of the technological changes that have allowed courses to become more efficient over the past few years. So the club contacted HMD for a irrigation system and water usage audit.

“After the initial audit we were shocked to find out we were at only 62 per cent Distribution Uniformity. We knew we had to revamp our system to better use our resources and maintain compliance with our water allocation,” said superintendent Rob Collins.

Even before the State of Arizona’s Department of Water Resources began to dictate usage restrictions, Paradise Valley knew a change was needed. “Even before the water crisis reached critical mass, we were looking for a solution that not only decreased our overall usage, but allowed us to be more efficient with the water we did use,” added Collins.

HMD developed a new irrigation system starting with an detailed course survey. This map allowed the team to select and plan out the location of every sprinkler head. The maps were a critical part of ensuring the club’s 80 per cent DU requirement. HMD’s redesign also included new lateral piping, a new computerised control system and new control wiring.