11/30/2020 7:11 AM
Todd, we're considering the same thing at my course. I'm wrapping up my first season at this club, and we're at the point where we spend so much time repairing the system, it's just not worth it. I'm with James in saying if you're going to install a new double row system, I would do everything I could to completely abandon the old center line, otherwise, there will come a time when you'll be blowing a lot of time repairing a line that really isn't needed. My youngest pipes have been in the ground since the 1980's, and this season alone we did in the area of 50 repairs. That's not even mentioning the leaks I know I had at the end of the season that we didn't get to, solely because this was an odd year, and the gentlemen that have handled irrigation repair in the past were either not here anymore or unable to perform those duties.
I could justify double row in many places on my course, where I will also likely have several fairways that could narrow down to single row as the fairway approaches the green. Having learned a lot through conversations with several irrigation consultants, I'm pushing for an HDPE system that will last longer than the heads themselves, especially since the costs involved in installing HDPE are much closer to the costs of schedule 40 than they used to be. The hard part will be selling this project to the membership, much like you referenced in your last post. It's not going to be inexpensive, and we'll have to figure out a way to get the money together to do it, but even if we end up deciding to go back in with a new center row system (to save money), we'll be abandoning all the old piping that is in place.
Good luck. I spoke with another superintendent in my state who is getting a new system installed in pieces over the next three years, and he told me his club replaced the irrigation around all the greens ten years ago. There was a big need to do that, and while they had the consultant there, they had him draw up plans for the entire system. It took him ten years to get the membership sold on the need for the entire system being replaced, and a big part of what enabled him to sell it to the membership was showing them the annual costs to repair. Over 36 holes, he was spending $60K in parts every year, not to mention the labor costs involved with these repairs. For your sake and mine, I certainly hope it doesn't take that long and those costs to get the membership on board!