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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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After delays, Pali golf links due for water
Question: The city just spent millions of dollars and took 18 months to install a state-of-the-art irrigation system at the Pali Golf Course, but the fairways are still brown and it looks like the system doesn't work. What's going on?
Q: I am an occasional golfer at the Pali Golf Course. It is located in a beautiful, pleasant and breezy area, so one cannot ask for more in a municipal course. The only problem is the course is not properly maintained. The fairways are brown and full of tall weeds. We know they installed a new comprehensive irrigating system last spring, but we do not see any indication that they are using the system. Could you find out what is holding up improved maintenance using the new setup? It seems to be a shame that the course is not receiving sufficient attention as well as other municipal courses. Improved maintenance would certainly attract more players.
Answer: Water is at the end of the tunnel: The new irrigation system is expected to be up and running next month.
Installation of a new pump station should be completed this week, and a pre-final inspection of the entire system will begin sometime in mid-October, said Garrick Iwamuro, the city golf course system administrator. A final inspection is expected to be completed in November.
The project, initially targeted for completion in March, was extended to May because of delays caused by bad weather, Iwamuro said.
The project was further delayed when it was decided to install a new potable water system, to bring irrigation water directly in from a Board of Water Supply service line rather than through a reservoir.
The installation of the new potable water system was completed in August.
The new pump station, meanwhile, had to await a strainer and basket that had to be brought in from the mainland.
The initial cost of the project was $1.37 million, but the final cost will be approximately $1.7 million, the increase due mainly to the new potable-water system, Iwamuro said.
Unfortunately, during this time some maintenance work was delayed, he acknowledged.
"We have had some equipment issues with breakdowns and are looking to replace some of the more highly used equipment," Iwamuro said. "We will also be adding more staff to increase the maintenance levels."
The new irrigation system is "current in technology that is available," with "valve-in-head" sprinklers that can be individually adjusted.
"There is also a weather station that collects data, such as wind speed, solar radiation and humidity, which is sent to a computer with irrigation software," he said.
The software then calculates the amount of run time needed for the sprinklers, sending that information to satellite controllers, which then program the sprinklers.
Got a question or complaint? Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered. E-mail to
kokualine@starbulletin.com.
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