Work started last week on a multiyear irrigation improvement project at the Ocean Pines Golf Club that will effectively replace a failing 50-year-old system.

 

The new system is said to be longer lasting, and more efficient both in terms in coverage and water usage.

 

General Manager John Viola said the new irrigation system is just the latest example of Ocean Pines investing in its amenities.

 

Golf Course Superintendent Justin Hartshorne said the disruption for golfers will be minimal, with work scheduled around the shoulder season, and the 19th hole being utilized whenever one of the primary holes is unavailable.

 

He said the first phase of what will likely be a four-year project will include the pump station, the first and ninth holes, and the driving range.

 

Hartshorne said the project is getting an early start and will focus on perimeter areas so as not to be disruptive for golfers.

 

“We’re going to try to run the mainlines that are out in the rough areas and the perimeters of these holes, so it’s not going to be extremely disruptive to play,” he said. “When we shut down the pump station when we’re done watering for the season, we’ll be working more in the winter, and we’ll certainly have the 19th hole in play then.”

 

Hartshorne said the original system is around 53 years old. He said most irrigation systems have a lifespan of around 25 years.

 

“It’s well overdue,” he said. “We do a lot of maintenance on it every year, and we’ve actually been seeing pinhole leaks forming in the pipes – they’re literally just falling apart and deteriorating. So, we’re long overdue for a replacement and we’ve more than exceeded the lifespan of the current system.”

 

Hartshorne said golfers will see some work being done off to the sides, with pipes being fused aboveground and some trenching work being done in preparation.

 

“They’ll see some equipment, and some excavators on just a few holes,” he said. “Eventually, we’ll scape up the sod, trench it out, put the pipe in the ground, and then they’ll backfill everything and tamp it down. It will be very clean when the whole process is done. This contractor has a lot of experience with these kinds of projects, so it should be limited disruption.”

 

For the average golfer, playing nine or 18 holes at the Ocean Pines Golf Club won’t be much different. What will be noticeable are the long-term benefits to the course.

 

“It’s a big investment, but it’s a huge part of the infrastructure and it’s my most vital maintenance tool for keeping a high quality of grass out here,” Hartshorne said. “It’s a very important system for keeping everything alive through the summer months.

 

“The irrigation systems are something you don’t see,” he continued. “It’s underground, so you walk right over it, but there’s miles and miles pipes and wires underground that help operate the system that you don’t notice on a daily basis.”

 

Hartshorne said the project will continue to run in phases, during the shoulder months, likely over the next four years. When it’s done, the Ocean Pines Golf Club will have a much more efficient system, with much better coverage over the whole course.

 

“We’re going to be able to really control where we’re putting the water out,” he said. “We’ll also probably reduce our water usage, because it’s going to run more efficiently, so it will help us save water as well as get water to some areas that we don’t have the ability to get to now. We’ll have wall-to-wall coverage across the golf course, so we’ll be able to maintain pretty much every bit of acreage that we have.

 

“It’s certainly going to help make the quality of the course even better,” he added.

 

What’s more, Hartshorne said the new system is said to be longer lasting and more durable.

 

“These pipes are certainly going to be able to hold up well beyond what our original system was built with,” he said.