Plantation Course upgrades irrigation controls

Golf Course News, Apr 2004

The Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii, successfully implemented the replacement of an existing irrigation system to a new, all digital irrigation control system from Signature Control Systems just eight weeks prior to the start of the PGA Tour Mercedes Championship.

When asked about installing an upgrade this close to the event, superintendent Craig Trenholme says, "We wanted to be able to increase our level of water control for the tournament. This system offered advanced communication technology that helped us achieve just that."

Trenholme and his crew took two weeks to replace 21 control satellites with the new system, which has true two-way communication, no FCC licensing requirement, split-second run time capability and simple upgradability. "The ability for the satellites to communicate to each other, not just from the central out to the field, was very important to me, particularly for daily maintenance," Trenholme says. "There's an instant response from the handheld radio due to the digital nature of the system."