When Chris Roberts became course manager at Sutton Coldfield Golf Club it quickly became apparent that the club’s ageing irrigation system was becoming one of the biggest obstacles to maintaining consistently high playing surfaces.
Originally founded in 1889, the renowned heathland course sits within Sutton Park and operates under the careful oversight of both Historic England and Natural England. While its unique location makes it one of the country’s most picturesque golf courses, it also presents significant challenges when undertaking any infrastructure work.
For Roberts, the club’s 35-year-old irrigation system had simply reached the end of its useful life.
“We were constantly dealing with leaks,” he explained. “The pipework was old and the sprinkler coverage, particularly on the tees, was really poor. It was becoming a horrible cycle of losing grass, overseeding, getting it back for winter and then losing it again during the next drought.”
Seeking a long-term solution, Roberts began working with KAR UK’s Manager of International Golf Sales, Wes Henshaw, whose advice initially centred around improving irrigation performance on one particularly problematic putting green.
“We carried out catch cup testing and realised the sprinklers simply weren’t providing head-to-head coverage,” Roberts said. “After changing the layout and increasing distribution uniformity, we virtually eliminated the hand watering that had become part of our daily routine.”
That early success gave Roberts confidence in both Hunter‘s products and KAR UK’s technical expertise. When the time came to modernise the course’s irrigation infrastructure, the decision to adopt the Hunter Pilot System was straightforward.
Unlike many projects of this scale, Roberts elected to undertake the installation entirely in-house. The decision wasn’t driven purely by cost. Because the golf course sits within a Scheduled Ancient Monument, every trench had to follow the original pipe routes to avoid disturbing Roman roads, 16th-century boundary ditches and other archaeological features. Historic England closely supervised the works, meaning careful excavation was essential throughout the project.
Over several years the team installed close to 180 Hunter sprinkler heads across greens, approaches and tees, replacing outdated UPVC pipework with modern polyethylene mains. KAR UK’s support extended well beyond supplying equipment.
“It wasn’t just a case of selling us the hardware. Wes made sure we were installing everything correctly and provided quality control throughout the project,” said Roberts.
The results have transformed daily course management. Where staff once monitored sprinklers throughout the night, the Hunter Pilot System now allows complete confidence in fully automated overnight irrigation programmes.
“We can put it on at ten o’clock at night and know it’ll still be running perfectly at five in the morning,” says Roberts.
Control via the Hunter Pilot mobile app has also provided flexibility.
“If rain suddenly appears that wasn’t forecast, I can switch the system off from my phone. We’ve also got a full course map so we can target individual sprinklers if one area needs more water.”
The club has further enhanced precision by integrating POGO moisture meters with the Hunter Pilot system. Moisture readings are analysed using AI, enabling Roberts to fine-tune nozzle selection, irrigation run times and water distribution with increasing accuracy.
“It’s helping us refine everything. We can see exactly where adjustments need to be made.”
Perhaps the greatest benefit has been the amount of labour saved.
Previously, significant staff time was devoted to hand watering, monitoring sprinklers and constantly reacting to irrigation shortcomings. Those hours can now be spent improving other areas of the golf course.
“It’s freed us up. Man hours used to get lost dealing with irrigation. Now we’re able to focus on fine-tuning greens and improving other aspects of the course.”
For Roberts, the reduction in pressure has been every bit as valuable as the improved turf quality.
“I think it’s taken a huge amount of stress away. As course managers we always want to produce the best possible surfaces, but when you’ve got the right systems in place, everything becomes easier.”
Reflecting on the completed project, Roberts says that the combination of Hunter’s technology and KAR UK’s technical support has fundamentally changed how the course is managed.
“People forget how dated old irrigation systems become until they install a new one.
Afterwards you find yourself wondering how you ever coped before. The accuracy, the reliability and especially being able to service everything from above ground has been a real game changer for us.”
For more information, please visit www.karuk.com