Turf

104 FROM THE ROUGH WATER SYSTEMS It wasn't easy to convince a seasoned golf course superintendent to try magnetizing the water used by his staff to maintain the greens of the Cordova Bay Golf Course on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Dean Piller, a 30-year veteran of golf course maintenance, has been superintendent at Cordova Bay since before it officially opened in 1991. Cordova Bay is a family-owned golf course whose guiding principal has been to provide "private" conditions on a public daily-fee golf course. Certified by Audubon International as an Audubon Sanctuary in 2005, Cordova Bay is recognized for providing a pristine setting and impeccable conditions. "We have a 60-acre Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar forest in the middle of the course, many streams and 16 ponds," Piller said. Golf superintendent saves 2.4 million gallons per month "It's truly a wondrous place and it is our highest priority to keep it that way." SAVING FAIRWAYS While attending the Golf Industry Show in San Diego two years ago, Piller found the Magnation exhibit booth. He decided to conduct his own trial on his golf course to compare results. The defining moment for Piller occurred during a weekend in July 2013. He and his staff decided not to run an irrigation cycle on the fairways since the forecast didn't call for it to be unusually hot during the day. Unfortunately the temperatures soared Monday afternoon and he received a call from the pro shop saying "your fairways are dying!" Piller had his crew take moisture readings using a spectrum moisture meter on their tees, MAGNATION TREATMENT CUTS WATER USE, SAVES MONEY

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