3 minute read
Technology Keeps Greens Green
Technology Helps Keep Greens Green
Mobile app helps the City of Mendota Heights streamline and regulate their golf course’s irrigation system
By Todd Pernsteiner, Pernsteiner Creative Group
In 2019, the City of Mendota Heights Community Golf Course’s irrigation system wasn’t working properly - right at the height of the hot summer season. Grass was becoming too dry, getting sunburned, and beginning to die. The staff needed to act quickly to figure out what was happening to the delicate turf and greens. Upon a thorough investigation, the Mendota Heights parks and recreation team discovered the irrigation system was badly damaged by a recent lightning strike. It would have to be replaced. What was at the time a devastating situation for the community, would become an opportunity for the course staff to explore a more updated, high-tech watering system that could be controlled from anywhere via wireless technology.
The Toro Lynx Central Control System comes with a computer pre-loaded with the software needed to control the golf course’s irrigation system.
Meredith Lawrence oversees the City of Mendota Heights Community Golf Course
“We ended up needing to source and install a new irrigation system in the dead heat of July,” said Meredith Lawrence, recreation program coordinator for the City of Mendota Heights. “It was life or death for the greens when the old system failed.” Lawrence heads up the golf course maintenance and irrigation practices for the City and was put in charge of finding a new system. After a lot of research, the city chose the Toro Lynx Central Control System (LCCS). “One of the biggest selling features of the Lynx system is it allows you to customize each day’s watering based on expected precipitation and humidity levels. I can login and edit the golf course’s irrigation computer system setting in the office or remotely on a computer, tablet, or smart phone using the Lynx app,” she explained. The LCCS app plots the entire course’s irrigation system using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping. Each sprinkler head is labeled in the app’s map allowing Lawrence to view each individual head location in relation to soil temperature readings she pulls manually. She can view each irrigation head in the app while
out on the course and turn irrigation on or off based on what each area might need water. She can also customize the amount of water, times, and days – down to the second. Lawrence added, “the Lynx System is helpful because I can’t be on the course all the time. My week is balanced with multiple other responsibilities, so the system lets me manipulate the status of turf at any time, from anywhere.” Another feature Lawrence appreciates is the Course Report which provides a daily summary of how the irrigation system performed. It captures both scheduled and manual irrigation events conducted at the central computer, from the handheld radio, or at the satellite faceplate. “Toro offers a great customized package which includes a preprogrammed computer, online backups, and a great warranty program,” said Lawrence. “MTI Distributing (our installer) offers great customer service, too. They installed and trained us on the system. “The Toro Lynx system is very user-friendly and support is great from both Toro and MTI. Should we have an issue, both Toro and MTI can control the system remotely to help us trouble shoot the problem,” explained Lawrence. “We are really happy with this system.”
Each sprinkler head is labeled in the app’s map allowing Lawrence to view each irrigation head in the app while out on the course.
