PORTSMOUTH — The Pease Development Authority’s board of directors recently authorized spending about $1.3 million to upgrade the Pease Golf Course’s irrigation system.
The contract with National Lawn Sprinklers Inc., of White Plains, New York, will replace the aging existing irrigation system at the popular golf course, according to PDA documents.
Scott DeVito, the course’s general manager, explained “the main irrigation lines being used to water the upper golf holes were originally installed by the Air Force in the mid-1950s.”
Most of the “tie-in lines and sprinklers” were installed “shortly after the Pease Development Authority took ownership of the golf course in 1991,” DeVito stated in a memo to PDA Executive Director Paul Brean.
DeVito added that most of that work performed in the early 1990s “was done by the golf course maintenance staff … with limited funds” so most of the sprinkler heads installed “were not intended for commercial use. Now, with the age of the system, many of the necessary replacement parts and supplies to repair breaks are no longer available, which results in delays with repairs and damage to turf.”
New efficient system touted for 2026 opening
Tiffany Eddy, the spokesperson for the PDA, said “the irrigation system is long overdue for upgrades. The new system will be more environmentally friendly and efficiently managed by staff using advanced technologies that allow precise watering in targeted areas.”
She explained “the new system will significantly reduce the total water volume used during each irrigation season. Replacing the original 1950s-era Air Force–installed system aligns with our sustainability goal of using less water through modern, efficient commercial irrigation technology.”
Work on the major irrigation upgrade project is expected to begin “as early in the spring as possible,” Eddy said, “likely around mid-March when ground conditions allow.”
“The contractor plans to work around play, minimizing disruption, and expects all 27 holes to be open by May 1,” she said.
Pease Golf Course sees tens of thousands of rounds per year
The news about the PDA approving the irrigation upgrade comes as the Pease Golf Course is expected to hit its fourth consecutive year of 70,000-plus rounds played, according to DeVito and Eddy.
The irrigation upgrade system improvements included in this project features work on the upper golf holes on the course, which include holes 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17 and 18, DeVito said.
The project also includes installing “new irrigation control boxes on the Blue Course and adding a water aeration system to the main irrigation pond located on hole 14,” DeVito said.
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