All course information is listed within this syllabus.

TURF 307: Golf Course Irrigation and Drainage (3 credits). Introduction to fundamental irrigation design principles, irrigation components, and water management.

Prerequisite: TURF 235

Instructor

Instructor for TURF 307

Bradley Jakubowski
Assistant Teaching Professor

Department of Plant Science
206 Tyson Building
University Park, PA 16802

E-mail: Use Canvas Inbox

If you need to contact me regarding this course, use the Canvas Inbox. I will respond within 48 hours during the week, and by the end of business Monday following the weekend.

Course Overview

I would like to welcome you to our investigation of one of the most important maintenance tools available to golf course superintendents and turfgrass managers. We will take a journey that investigates the importance of water and its fluid dynamics, water conservation, weather, irrigation design and management, technologies being used, and many other practical maintenance considerations that aid the turfgrass manager in producing the best playing conditions possible.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Apply meteorological information to turfgrass/irrigation management.
  2. Understand plant irrigation requirements and water use via soil-water-plant relationships.
  3. Apply the fundamentals of irrigation hydraulics, flow principles, etc. to turfgrass applications.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of basic system components, their place in design, and demonstrate how system components operate.
  5. Understand the fundamentals of irrigation construction management and installation practices.
  6. Use their knowledge of irrigation principles to identify and troubleshoot basic problems.

Course Outline

Module 1: Irrigation and Turfgrass Management and Society

Module 2: Meteorological Principles and Irrigation Management

Module 3: Soil - Water - Plant Relationships

Module 4: Irrigation Water Sources and Quality

Exam 1

Module 5: Pipes, Pipe Layout, and Pipe Sizing

Module 6: Irrigation Hydraulics

Module 7: Irrigation Components

Module 8: Sprinklers and Valves

Exam 2

Module 9: Assembly

Module 10: Irrigation System Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Module 11: Life Cycle of an Irrigation System

Final Exam

Course Schedule

For due dates, refer to the Course Summary on the Syllabus page in Canvas.

Course Materials

Required

Required materials for this course are provided digitally at no extra cost through Canvas links.

Readings include selections from Jarrett, Brandt, and Jakubowski. Golf Course Irrigation and Drainage. ISBN: None (Developed and edited internally for TURF 307.)

Optional

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check the World Campus Course Catalog approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

ISBN: 978-0137074358
Turgeon, A. J. (2011). Turfgrass Management (9th ed.). Pearson.

ISBN: 978-0471148302
Barrett, J., Vinchesi, B., Dobson, R., Roche, P., & Zoldoske, D. (2003). Golf Course Irrigation: Environmental Design and Management Practices (1st ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (E-Book option available)

You may purchase course materials from Barnes & Noble College (the bookstore used by Penn State's World Campus). For pricing and ordering information, please see the Barnes & Noble College website. Materials will be available at Barnes & Noble College approximately three weeks before the course begins. Alternatively, you may obtain these texts from other favorite bookstores. Be sure you purchase the edition/publication date listed.

E-Book Option

An online version of one or more of your texts is available at no cost as a Penn State Library E-Book. Some E-Books will only be available online, while others will be available to download in full or in part. You may choose to use the E-Book as an alternative to purchasing a physical copy of the text. You can access the E-Book by selecting Library Resources in the Course Navigation Menu, and then selecting the E-Reserves link. For questions or issues, you can contact the University Libraries Reserve Help (UL-RESERVESHELP@LISTS.PSU.EDU).

E-Reserves

Chapters from the following are provided digitally within E-Reserves for the course.

  • Lutgens, F. K., Tarbuck, E. J., & Tasa, D. G. (2012). The Atmosphere: An Introduction to Meteorology (12th ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN: 978-0321756312

Assignments/Exams

For each week of study (and to receive Penn State credit) each student will:

  • Go through each module and read (assigned only) related readings
  • Complete all homework assignments
  • Complete all quizzes
  • Complete all exams
  • Complete the final exam

Homework Assignments

There will be assignments throughout the course. The assignments are designed to help students apply learned concepts. Each assignment may require the student to synthesize all that they have learned in the class to that point and continue to synthesize concepts throughout. For example, students may be asked to develop an irrigation schedule based upon given design characteristics, weather, climate, turf types, function of the facility, etc. Assignments are worth 25% of the total.

Quizzes

There will be quizzes assigned throughout the course. Quizzes are not a group activity. Quizzes are worth 25% of the total grade of the course. The lowest quiz grade at the end of the semester will be dropped.

Exams

Exam 1 is on content from Modules 1–4. Exam 2 is on content from Modules 5–8. The final exam is a cumulative exam on content from all modules. Each exam is a 2-hour, online exam. Exams make up 50% of the final grade.

Grading Policy

The course grading is broken down into the following proportions of quizzes, assignments, and exams.

Grading Criteria
Requirement Cumulative Point Value Weight
Quizzes 411 25%
Assignments 189 25%
Exams 296 50%
TOTAL: 896 100%

The following table is the grading scheme for the course.

Grading Scheme
Letter Grade Percentage
A 100% – 94%
A- < 94% – 90%
B+ < 90% – 87%
B < 87% – 83%
B- < 83% – 80%
C+ < 80% – 75%
C < 75% – 70%
D < 70% – 60%
F < 60%

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information.

NOTE: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please see "Graduation" under World Campus Student Resources.

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Technical Requirements

This course is offered online and it is assumed you possess the minimum system requirements and computing skills to participate effectively. A list of technical requirements is listed on World Campus' Penn State Technical Requirements page.

Minimum Skills

  • You should have an understanding of basic computer usage (creating folders/directories, switching between programs, formatting and backing up media, accessing the internet).
  • You must be able to conduct word processing tasks such as creating, editing, saving, and retrieving documents.
  • You must be able to use a web browser to open web pages, download files, and search the internet.
  • You must be able to use an e-mail program to send and receive messages and to attach and download documents/files.
  • You must be able to download and install programs or plug-ins from the internet.

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Accommodations for Military Personnel

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

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Subject to Change Statement

Please note that this Course Syllabus is subject to change. Students are responsible for abiding by such changes.

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