Best Management Practices for Maryland Golf Courses

• The design operating pressure must account for peak-use times and supply-line pressures at final buildout for the entire system. • Turf and landscape areas should be zoned separately. Specific-use areas that should be zoned include greens, tees, primary roughs, secondary roughs, fairways, native areas, trees, and shrubs. • Design should account for the need to leach out salt buildup from poor-quality water sources by providing access to fresh water. • Only qualified specialists should install the irrigation system. • Construction must be consistent with the design. • The designer must approve any design changes before construction. • Construction and materials must meet existing standards and criteria. • Prior to construction, all underground cables, pipes, and other obstacles must be identified and their locations flagged. • Permanent irrigation sprinklers and other distribution devices should be spaced according to the manufacturer's recommendations. • Spacing should be based on average wind conditions during irrigation. • Distribution devices and pipe sizes should be designed for optimal uniform coverage and flow rate. • Distribution equipment, such as sprinklers, rotors, and micro-irrigation devices, in a given zone must have the same precipitation rate. • Heads for turf areas should be spaced for head-to-head coverage. • Water supply systems (for example, wells and pipelines) should be designed for varying control devices, rain shut-off devices, and backflow prevention. • Water conveyance systems should be designed with thrust blocks and air-release valves. • Flow velocity must be 5 feet per second or less. • Pipelines should be designed to provide the system with the appropriate pressure required for maximum irrigation uniformity. • Pressure-regulating or compensating equipment must be used where the system pressure exceeds the manufacturer’s recommendations. • Equipment with check valves must be used in low areas to prevent low head drainage. • Isolation valves should be installed in a manner that allows critical areas to remain functional. • Manual quick-coupler valves should be installed near greens, tees, and bunkers and in fairways if possible, so that these areas can be hand-watered during severe droughts. • Use part-circle or adjustable heads to avoid overspray of impervious areas, such as roadways and sidewalks, and surface waters such as lakes, ponds, and wetland margins. • Update multi-row sprinklers with single head control to conserve water and to enhance efficiency. • Incorporate multiple nozzle configurations to add flexibility and enhance efficiency and distribution. • Ensure heads are set level to the ground.

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