At Hawthorn Woods Country Club in Lake County, Illinois, superintendent Dave Schingel needed to manage both an extreme effluent-water irrigation system and one of Chicago’s longest recorded droughts. He worked with PROFILE Products LLC to build bentgrass fairways and greens on an 80 percent sand, 20 percent Profile™ Porous Ceramic (PPC) mix, improving drainage and moisture retention in fast-draining root zones. Schingel also used Futerra® Revegetation Blankets around seeded areas. The course opened May 5, 2006 as one of the Chicago area’s premier, lush courses, with no erosion around greens and no hand-watering of greens for two years.
Key Points
- Irrigation system is designed to use the city’s effluent water, pumping approximately 3,000 gallons a minute through about 3,200 golf heads and 1,500 perimeter heads over 210 acres of turf.
- An 80 percent sand, 20 percent Profile™ Porous Ceramic mix was selected to balance air and water pore space, improve drainage and moisture retention, resist compaction and support healthy root systems.
- During a major drought with greens perking at 50 inches an hour, Schingel did not have to hand-water greens and credited PPC with balancing soil moisture and allowing proper drainage.
- Futerra® and later Futerra® F4 Netless® blankets provided erosion control around greens and bunkers, helping prevent seeded fescue from washing out and contaminating bunkers.
