One area of expertise for ASGCA President Jan Bel Jan (Jan Bel Jan Golf Course Design) is irrigation. Now, she has turned that knowledge into a detailed “Short History of Irrigation” in the June issue of Golf Course Management magazine from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
The history of irrigation dates back 9,000-10,000 years, when human beings first began to look for better ways to use water to grow crops.
While it is fascinating to read how people thousands of years ago tested rudimentary examples of how to bring nature’s most precious resource – water – to where it was needed, it is the rapid evolution in terms of irrigation during the 20th century that most impacts golf course workers and aficionados today. This includes the post-World War I era that featured the introduction of pop-up sprinkler heads, hydraulic controllers and electric timers.
The complete Golf Course Management article may be found here.