Soil Moisture Sensors SMS for Golf Courses

 


Keep Your Fairways Looking Great with Proper Moisture Control
Having a well-maintained golf course can be the difference maker for your club, and it often comes at a high rate of maintenance and attention. One of the most important areas for many clubs is the condition in and around the greens. Many golf courses are taking the extra steps and adding soil moisture sensor technology to ensure those greens are receiving the proper watering attention they need. However, you may not know that these sensors do just as much good in areas of frequent rainfall as in desert courses. That's because they measure moisture level and, with some models, adjust the irrigation system for both dry and wet conditions. There are many different sensors out there, but some of the most common ones are manually operated, so courses aren't leaving sensors out on the course in the middle of their greens. Depending on whether you use pond water or municipal water sources, this can result in significant savings. It also makes a great addition to your new subsurface drip irrigation system.
At Vanden Bussche Irrigation, we can help you learn the essentials so that you can confidently utilize and  install SMSs on your greens. The tool measures volumetric water content so you can tell how wet or dry your soil is in specific locations. By using multiple sensors placed strategically across your tees, fairways, and roughs, you can maintain a beautiful tournament-ready turf golfers will love playing on.
What Does a Soil Moisture Sensor Do?
An SMS provides underground monitoring solutions for golf courses and other industries, such as agriculture and landscaping. Installing these allows you to optimize your golf course irrigation system. If you are installing a new drip subsurface system, we highly recommend including soil moisture sensors at strategic points along your irrigation path. Alternatively, there are portable and standalone options that help you monitor specific areas prone to overly wet or dry conditions.
Six Reasons to Add This Technology Today!
Here are just some of the ways soil moisture sensors can save you time, money, water, and energy:
  • Underground soil sensors work well with your irrigation automation. These tools provide real time data on salinity, moisture, and temperature that you can use to make decisions in real time.
  • Bury it and forget it. If you don't want to rely on handheld solutions, you can bury the sensors and receive the data you need on your smartphone or other devices. This can offer time saving for your staff, avoiding manually collecting data around the course and allowing staff to focus on other course maintenance.   
  • Install quickly and efficiently. When you can install the system quickly, it improves the return on your investment significantly. Easy-to-use systems also lower your maintenance costs because they are fast and simple to reconfigure.
  • Wireless solutions are ideal for large golf courses. Install wireless soil moisture sensors on all 18 holes for flexible solutions and more precise irrigation. Additionally, there are solar-powered and battery-powered units, so you don't have to rely on Wi-Fi or access to chargers to do your job.
  • Start small and add more sensors as you need them. You can add soil moisture sensors after your initial irrigation installation. If you need more coverage, there are many solutions, depending on what you're looking for. Talk to your Vanden Bussche salesperson about the best strategy and products for your specific property.
  • Follow year over year trends. When you need to justify adding more soil moisture sensors to your budget, you can pull year over year data that includes vital information about pesticides, fertilizers, and turf quality. This allows you to take a show versus tell approach when it comes to getting the tools you need to keep your golf course lush.
Vanden Bussche is a proud partner of Rain Bird and other manufacturers producing effective soil moisture sensors for the golf industry!
Soil moisture sensors give you flexibility in how you want to manage your golf course irrigation. Vanden Bussche Irrigation curates systems and accessories from today’s top brands to help you create a bespoke solution for your green. Contact us today to set up a free consultation with our product experts.

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