It’s easy to get excited for a bunker, tee or putting green renovation at your favorite course, but what about a drainage or irrigation project? It’s no surprise that most golfers lose interest quickly when they start hearing about pipe sizes, sprinkler features or how many gallons per minute the pump station can deliver, but that doesn’t mean golf course infrastructure projects aren’t essential to enjoyable golf. We hear about firm and fast conditions on just about every televised golf broadcast, but we don’t hear as much about what makes those conditions possible.

Superintendents are always trying to achieve the best playing conditions they can. This task is either made easier or harder by the irrigation and drainage systems. Two fundamental elements of golf course maintenance are supplying water to the course when the grass needs it and getting excess water off the course when Mother Nature delivers too much. One way or another, the irrigation and drainage systems will dictate how good playing conditions can be, how consistent they are throughout the year, and how efficiently and effectively the maintenance team can operate.

Securing funding for irrigation or drainage upgrades can be challenging since these are not features that are played on like greens, bunkers or tees. Improving golf course infrastructure also tends to carry a hefty price tag, so it’s easy to understand why golf course decision-makers are reluctant to invest in something expensive that doesn’t make a visual impact on the golfer. However, every playing surface on a golf course is potentially improved by better irrigation and drainage. Even though belowground infrastructure improvements do not provide the dramatic face-lift that new bunkers, greens or tees would, if your course is falling short on firm and fast conditions, it’s likely that upgrading the irrigation or drainage systems will be more important and impactful than a project that might have more “wow” factor.

What constitutes firm and fast conditions varies by course and golfer opinion, but without the infrastructure to manage moisture, no course can achieve their best version of firm and fast. Without proper drainage to remove excess soil moisture, and a well-designed and efficient irrigation system to supply the appropriate amount of water to areas that need it, golf courses run the risk of being too wet, too dry, or bouncing back and forth between the two.

Superintendents do a great job delivering the best conditions possible with the infrastructure they have, but the limitations of the irrigation and drainage systems will ultimately place a cap on how good conditions can ever be. There are some challenges that simply can’t be overcome without the proper tools – even if those tools are hidden underground and out of sight.