“Everything is good”, says CGCS Superintendent John Ottaviano of the Manchester Country Club in Manchester, Vermont. A winning attitude and even keel personality are just two reasons why John has enjoyed such a long and successful career at Manchester Country Club.
Only the second superintendent in the history of the club, John has spent much of his 24 years improving playing conditions and being a part of the club’s growth and new golf course construction projects. John knows he is only as good as his crew and is quick to point out their assets in contributing to his success.
At Manchester Country Club, John’s irrigation philosophy has two schools of thought. The newest nine, constructed in 2002, features sand based greens. “Deep and infrequent” on those greens says John. The original nine, native soil push up greens, are somewhat different. “Replenishing daily wiht light amounts of irrigation”, says John.
John, like most Rain Bird users, likes to supplement water throughout the growing season. “The Freedom System is simple to use and allows me to supplement water on a daily basis. Too much water is just as bad as not enough.”
In the 1990’s, the irrigation system was upgraded to a Rain Bird Decoder system. In 2002, decoders were again used for the back nine renovation project.
John liked the ease of installing Rain Bird Decoders and since he was doing the bulk of the irrigation installation he really appreciated just how easy it is. Along with the ease of installation, the built-in diagnostic capabilities within the central control make finding a problem that much easier.
One more feature John points out and relies on at the end of the day is the Rain Bird “Dry Run.” “When I adjust my water at the end of the day, I like seeing a graph and knowing when irrigation will complete its watering cycle. If I inadvertently staggered any start times, the holes on my flo-graph will allow me to see it on one screen and these holes can be quickly and easily fixed.”
John is a dedicated father of two boys, Nick 23 and Ryan 21, who both know a little about the golf business.
Did I mention they are part of his crew!!
Software – Nimbus II
Type of System – Decoder
# of Rotors – 400
Accessories – Freedom System
Irrigation Tech – John likes this job and has not delegated it to date.