Insight Engineering was engaged by Portsea Golf Club (PGC) to develop the PLC software and SCADA interface for a full irrigation automation system for their championship links-style course on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. The project transformed the club’s water management practices, delivering precision water harvesting control, significant energy and water efficiency gains and enhanced course conditions.
The Challenge
Portsea Golf Club’s historic course demands impeccable turf quality across its greens, fairways and surrounds. Prior to automation, irrigation relied on manual controls. This approach led to inconsistent watering, excessive water use during variable weather, high labour demands on the grounds team and occasional stress on both the turf and surrounding native vegetation. The club sought a modern solution that would maintain world-class playing surfaces while reducing operational costs and environmental footprint.
The Solution
Insight Engineering engineered a complete automation system centred on Rockwell Automation programmable logic controllers and human-machine interfaces for robust field-level control. These were seamlessly integrated with Ignition as the SCADA platform, providing the club with real-time visibility, remote monitoring and advanced scheduling capabilities from any authorised device.
Operators can now fine-tune watering windows to match evapotranspiration rates, rainfall forecasts and play schedules, ensuring every drop counts.
Project Delivery
Insight Engineering in conjunction with PGC and Maxim Electrical Contractors completed the commissioning with minimal disruption to golf operations. All existing infrastructure was retained where possible, new MCC/PLC panels were installed at strategic pump stations and the Ignition SCADA (visualisation) was configured with intuitive dashboards tailored to the club’s maintenance workflows. Comprehensive training was provided to the grounds staff, enabling them to confidently manage the system on a daily basis.
Outcomes
Since commissioning, Portsea Golf Club has recorded markedly improved turf health with firmer, more consistent greens and vibrant fairways throughout the year. Water consumption has been optimised without compromising playability, labour hours dedicated to irrigation have been substantially reduced and the surrounding natural environment has benefited from more targeted watering practices.
Sam Verde, Engineer for Portsea Golf Club, commented: “The course looks great with lush Greens, healthier Fairways and surrounds at this time of year. This outcome was achieved with lower operating costs and without the use of any Town water. The data we now collect allows us the better understand our course and allows us to better plan for our future requirements – Automation is the Answer!”
This successful collaboration highlights Insight Engineering’s capability to deliver reliable, scalable automation solutions that meet the exacting standards of premium Australian golf clubs while delivering measurable environmental and financial benefits.