Toro GDC'S Royal Appointment

Northern Ireland's Royal Portrush Golf Club has become the latest venue to install a Toro Golf Decoder Controller (GDC) irrigation system.

Contractor MJ Abbott Limited has been on site throughout the winter installing the fully-automated greens, tees, approaches, fairways, walkways and green surrounds system to both the Dunluce and Valley Courses at the County Antrim club.

Set for imminent completion, the MJ Abbott team is also installing a new pump station, 650m3 capacity water storage tank and five new bore holes as well as upgrading the pump station's electricity supply.

The club chose the Toro system - which has been designed by irrigation consultant Robin Hume Associates - after its old irrigation reached the end of its useful life.

Highly cost-effective to both install and operate, Toro's GDC irrigation system uses a two-wire path to communicate to buried decoders, thus eliminating the costs associated with traditional valve wire bundles. This simple and expandable system also enables optimum use of water so that golf clubs can make the most of this precious resource.

Club secretary Wilma Erskine says of the system: "We selected Toro because its irrigation systems are highly regarded in the industry and its GDC system ideally suited our needs. The installation is progressing well, with the MJ Abbott team doing an excellent job, and we look forward to using the system later this spring."