Course Mapping project Cancel The title field is required!

1. Dalton Andrew

   
   9/9/2012 9:09 PM

   Has anyone used google earth to map out drainage patterns, sprinkler heads, water lines etc. I'm not good at drawing or with manipulating programs. Is there an easy way to do it, or a different program I should think about using? I would like to take an aerial photo of each hole and blow it up to fit a regular sheet of paper and place in a binder, or each satellite box. I can then draw in irrigation heads, drainage patterns or what have you. Any help with this project would be greatly appreciated.
   
   Andrew

   
   
   
   
2. Robinson Craig

   
   9/10/2012 7:09 AM

   If you have the money, hire someone to gps your course! It is well worth your money. I use a gps to map courses on the side of being an assistant superintendent and I was just messing around with my gps unit at my course trying to get familiar with it, once I got the correct square footages I plugged them into our chemical and fertilizer budgets. We would save over $11,000 a year just by using the correct square footage to buy chemicals and fertilizer! $11,000 a year is a HUGE number saved in just 10 years, $100,000 could go a long way in buying some new equipment or any upgrades needed!! I change between $5,000-10,000, so no matter what our course would be saving money. Then you can add in the time you save with getting your irrigation system mapped, cut down on time searching for heads and valves. So if you can afford it have someone come in to map your course. The materials that you would get are priceless to the course!

   
   
   
   
3. Dalton Andrew

   
   9/10/2012 10:09 AM

   The GPS System sounds great, I just don't need to be that technical right now and that would be a really hard sell right now. This irrigation system will probably get upgraded in the next 10 years. Half the valves don't even work and the plumbing is about as pathetic as you will find. Our satellites came from a course that upgraded their controllers back in the late 90's to replace the original pin and dial controllers that were first put in here. Basically, all I'm looking to do now is print a picture of a hole using something like google earth and drawing in the heads or where drain tile has been added. I just want an idea of where things are given the landmarks that come with aerial photos. The only picture I have right now is a pretty good as-built that a former superintendent put together on his own that has been extremely valuable.
   
   Andrew

   
   
   
   
4. Keith Pegg

   

   0 posts
   
   9/10/2012 5:09 PM

   Andrew Dalton said: Has anyone used google earth to map out drainage patterns, sprinkler heads, water lines etc. I'm not good at drawing or with manipulating programs. Is there an easy way to do it, or a different program I should think about using? I would like to take an aerial photo of each hole and blow it up to fit a regular sheet of paper and place in a binder, or each satellite box. I can then draw in irrigation heads, drainage patterns or what have you. Any help with this project would be greatly appreciated.
   
   Andrew

   
   Long before Google, I had a photo of the course done and over about 15 years (I was 20 years at the course) I was able to measure every head and water line and draw it into the picture. I had drains course improvments and all to scale. I had in 1994 a system Rainbird that every head worked and all valves also we had 27 controlers for 18 holes and it was a good system. The course replaced the system in 1995 after I left.
   
   Keith

   
   
   
   
5. Robinson Craig

   
   9/11/2012 10:09 AM

   Keith Pegg said:

   Andrew Dalton said: Has anyone used google earth to map out drainage patterns, sprinkler heads, water lines etc. I'm not good at drawing or with manipulating programs. Is there an easy way to do it, or a different program I should think about using? I would like to take an aerial photo of each hole and blow it up to fit a regular sheet of paper and place in a binder, or each satellite box. I can then draw in irrigation heads, drainage patterns or what have you. Any help with this project would be greatly appreciated.
   
   Andrew

   
   
   It might be a tough sell but in the long run it would worth it, even if there is a renovation in the future! I can't speak for all mapping companies but if they are like me they will work with you on price and a payment plan. I'm not in it to make a ton of money, I just do it on the side because I know there are a lot of courses out there that need it and don't have the big money budgets to afford it. I just want to help smaller and average budget course get the materials they need!