By Using Penterra on His Fairways, Certified Golf Course Superintendent Billy Huskins Has Reduced Water Use and Achieved His Desired Soil Moisture
I was sold on Penterra from the first meeting I had with the Geoponics sales representative once he did the jar test. What I liked was that he asked me to get my favorite wetting agent from my chemical room so he could do a comparison. I was impressed by how quickly the Penterra worked and by the low cost per acre. At the time we were in the middle of the worst drought on record, and under severe watering restrictions, so we were looking for any edge to help control the dry areas.
I have a double row irrigation system with only 700 heads for 95 acres, which means I’d have to either over water the fairways or under water the rough. Because the course was built on a very sandy vein of soil, my fairways drain like a push up green; they have no moisture holding capacity. Since we started spraying Penterra every 3 weeks or so on the tee boxes, fairways and more than half the rough, we’ve been able to keep our moisture levels right in the middle of those peaks and valleys we used to have. I don’t have to water for 20 minutes per head anymore because I can hold my color with just 10 minutes. I pay for my water, so that helps us to offset the cost of the product as well as increase our water efficiency. I’ve tried many different products out there, and I believe we’ve found the right one for our situation.
Billy Huskins, CGCS
Highland Woods GCC
Bonita Springs, FL
bhuskins@comcast.net
239-218-7589
Add comment March 20th, 2009