16 TUR F I RR I GAT I ON SERV I CES The spirit of collaboration Siobhan Smith explains how Turf Irrigation Services and Rain Bird combined to install a new irrigation system at Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club Founded in Linlithgow, Scotland, in 1994 by Quentin and Margaret Allardice, Turf Irrigation Services (TIS) is a family-run business that has installed irrigation systems on golf courses across Scotland, the UK and beyond, including several venues of the Open. In 2022, TIS began working with irrigation product manufacturer Rain Bird to install an integrated control (IC) system at the prestigious Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club in Prestwick, Scotland. TIS was appointed by the club, alongside Rain Bird, as the preferred contractor and manufacturer respectively. While installations of this scale are not new to the firm, this project was noteworthy as the first collaboration between Rain Bird and TIS in Scotland, and as the largest capital investment project in the club’s history. TIS started work in January 2022, with contracts manager Neil Porteous at the helm. Neil led a team of twelve between January and April through every weather condition which Scotland could throw at them – rain, hail, snow, ice, wind, mist, and even the occasional breakout of sunshine! The project was an expansive one, with a new pump station installed, alterations made to the reservoir water feed and the existing control system upgraded to Rain Bird’s IC System with Cirrus Central Control. “The system performs well above our expectations and the installation programme was professionally accomplished,” said Colin Ramsay, captain and irrigation system manager at Prestwick St Nicholas. “The TIS team were all very easy to work with and extremely accommodating. Their managing director Quentin Allardice was always on hand to discuss progress and to add his considerable experience to the overall installation. This cooperation and professionalism resulted in a truly exceptional irrigation system and the club looks forward to it improving the course for many, many years to come.” For more on Turf Irrigation Services, turn to page 58, or visit www.turfirrigationservices.co.uk/index.html Photo: Turf Irrigation Services
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=