With the slowing of irrigation development in the rural sector in New Zealand over the last two to three years, the PGG Wrightson Water team turned its focus on growing other areas of their business including irrigation systems for golf courses.



Advanced Irrigation Systems (AIS) – a trading division of PGG Wrightson Limited – provides water system design, infrastructure implementation and service support to a range of customers including golf clubs around New Zealand. As a result of the innovative technology and highly valued work the team have been delivering, their bid for the redevelopment project at the prestigious Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club (RAGGC) was successful.



The specialised golf irrigation system that the team is installing at RAGGC is the Rain Bird® Integrated Control™ (IC) system. AIS has already installed the system at two golf courses, with four more to come online in the near future. 



A key aspect of the system is the integrated control software package which allows our customers to turn individual sprinklers on and off via a central control computer or internet enabled devices such as smart phones or tablets. The highly sophisticated IC™ system has advanced diagnostic capabilities to troubleshoot field issues with pinpoint accuracy.



The RAGGC project’s earthworks commenced in September 2017 and the project is expected to be completed by October 2021. Leading the AIS project team is South Island Manager and irrigation golf specialist Paul Mooney. 

Paul said, “It is a privilege to be working on this major development at one of the most prestigious golf clubs in Australasia. Our team was delighted when the project bid was accepted. Now the hard work begins.

“AIS are New Zealand’s sole authorised Rain Bird® distributor for golf irrigation products, which provide automatically controlled irrigation systems for heavy turf applications such as golf and race courses,” said Paul.



Paul and his team work closely with RAGGC Director of Agronomy Mark Hooker and his team, as well as the Nicklaus Design Associate onsite, Paul Garvie.



Mark said, “Our objective is to develop a golf course that is comparable with the best Australasian courses and to produce high quality playing surfaces for our members all year round. We are pleased to be working with AIS to be able to deliver on this.



“It is therefore important to install an excellent irrigation system. Their system met our requirements. The water supply system is highly customised and will provide smart technology to address the unique soil, sand and grass (turf) combinations on each hole,” said Mark.



In addition the RAGGC will install an integrated weather station and soil moisture sensors that will help with irrigation scheduling to avoid over or under watering on the golf course. Another integrated feature that will assist with the efficient use of water is the Rain Bird® Smart Pump technology. The pump technology will help RAGGC maximise pump use and improve water window efficiency, which in turn will decrease energy consumption.



The $60 million plus project involves three separate contractors managing earthworks, drainage and irrigation. Once these aspects of the project are completed, then the naked soil is handed back to RAGGC to plant and grow in the course. 



Mark sums up, “While the project involves three contractors, they work closely together as a team – sharing information and agreeing on goals which I believe will result in a better outcome for us and our members. An excellent irrigation system is key to a top performing golf course. If you get that part right and take the time to plan and install carefully, this goes a long way and enables our agronomy team time to focus on preparing top quality turf surfaces.”