Challenge
As the superintendent of Fairway Hills Golf Club, the responsibility for keeping 18 holes in pristine condition year-round is a large task. The team at the golf course knows that their irrigation system is critical to that mission, however parts of their system were aging, inefficient, and falling behind the precision needed for modern turf management. They had plans to overhaul several zones, including installing new smart controllers, high-efficiency heads, and upgrading pump station components. The project was going to be phased over two off-seasons, and what they needed wasn’t just product supply; they also needed expert support for planning, take-offs, value engineering, and someone who truly understood the demands of golf course irrigation.
The Central Difference Solution
The Golf Team at Central is highly skilled and diversified in their deep knowledge of irrigation, turf, course needs and so much more. This customer had sourced parts from Central in the past, but this time leaned on the Golf Team and its collaboration with Central’s Commercial Services team from the start. They helped them review the original design and suggested updated product specs that matched the course’s elevation changes and water usage goals. Central’s team provided detailed take-offs that were broken down by zone, which helped them budget and order in phases. They even worked with the golf club team on nights and weekends to stay aligned with their short offseason construction window. Their recommendations on fittings and joint restraints saved both time and labor, and the value-engineered product alternatives brought costs down without sacrificing performance.
Results
Thanks to Central, the superintendent saved over 6% on overall material costs, more than $15,000, which they were able to reinvest into controller upgrades they hadn’t originally budgeted for. Even better, the product substitutions they recommended helped the golf course team install everything faster with fewer specialized tools. That meant less downtime on the course and fewer disruptions for course members. The job was completed ahead of schedule, and they are already seeing improved water distribution and pressure balance across the course. With Central as a true partner, they completed their project with minimal to no distrubtion of seasonal playing time.
