Soil Scout Sensor 4

management was something I was going to
have to really get on top of and be astute in.
"Installing Soil Scout sensors in the greens
fitted in with our best practice for water
management, and I believed by using them
we could home in on our moisture levels very
quickly.
"What drew me to Soil Scout is the live data
you get every 20 minutes. Having that at your
fingertips is unique in the industry, and it was
something that by putting the sensors in, we
could fine-tune our moisture management very
quickly.
"I also think it's quite nice to feel like you're
in control. So when you're at home and going
through a dry spell, for peace of mind, it's great.
There is an aspect of mental health within the
industry and managing that. There can be times
when the greens are drying out or getting too
wet, and being able to check that takes a lot of
pressure off you.
In control with Soil Scout
"When I started here, we had mixed weather,
but I did feel in control, where I might not have
done without having the Soil Scouts in the
greens.
"There can be a level of anxiety over it being
hotter or wetter than you anticipated, but being
able to check that live is a valuable tool for
well-being. I don't think it's something that gets
touched on, but it is a big aspect of having Soil
Scout."
Having the live information to hand has
settled John in quickly, and it is also playing a
role in staff education. Greens data is collected
daily and is the subject of the next day's
morning briefing. Discussing the information
with his team and reflecting on their previous
days' performance is something John introduced
and plays a significant role in staff involvement
with the progression of the course and its
maintenance.
"We do it to help build the team's
knowledge of the course, but we're also able
to make better-informed judgements of daily
maintenance practices because we analyse the
performance of the greens every day. So, those
figures drive what we do on a daily basis. By
being able to track our moisture levels and our
firmness, we can make more educated decisions
with resources, whether that be sand for top
dressing, watering, or wetting agents.
Making better judgments
"It's a better use of resources. We're never
rolling the greens when we don't have to
because we know what they are clegging at, we
know the speed, and we know the smoothness,
so we can make better judgments, and the Soil
Scouts are one part of that.
"The way the greens react to different
conditions is playing out in a similar way to
what I expected, although it takes them a lot
longer to dry down than I was anticipating.
So, to have that live data really did forward
our knowledge against how long it would
have taken us to learn that. And with that
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Soil Scout Story Issue 4 V1.indd 17 16/03/2022 23:08