Titirangi Golf Club
CASE STUDY
Water Storage
Golf Club overcomes water management challenges with KlipTank
Titirangi Golf Course based in New Lynn, Auckland was designed in 1927 by world renowned golf course architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie, and is the only MacKenzie-designed course in New Zealand. US Links magazine, US Golf Digest, Robb Report and top 100 golf courses all rate Titirangi as the best course in Auckland, and in the top seven in the country.
In 2023, Greg Swafford, Head Greenkeeper at Titirangi Golf Club began exploring options for a long-term solution that would provide sufficient water for the club grounds without any restrictions.
“We had a complex system where we had multiple small tanks which restricted how much water we could use at night. We were after a reasonable sized irrigation water tank that would allow for as much water as we needed” Greg explained.
Greg approached KlipTank after receiving a recommendation from one of his irrigation suppliers who had previously installed a KlipTank at another golf course.
After explaining what he was after, KlipTank provided multiple options of tank sizes that could be tailor made to the specific site. Greg said,
“Our site was a little confined for space, so we couldn’t go much larger than 15 metres in diameter, so instead of going for a three-metre tank, we went for a six-metre tank which gave us the amount of volume we needed with a smaller footprint.”
Once Greg gave the go ahead, the process moved pretty quickly. The work had to be completed during winter when the irrigation system wasn’t going to be used. Based on this, the installation of the irrigation water tank was scheduled for August 2023.
Prior to the installation of the tank, Greg and his team completed the groundworks.
“KlipTank gave us the exact requirements they needed for the tank to sit on. Before the installation began, they called and checked that everything was good to go” he said.
To overcome site-specific challenges involving the need to crane part of the tank into place, KlipTank developed a plan that involved assembling the tank in two parts. The bottom half was assembled where the tank was positioned, while the top half was assembled 30 metres away. A crane was then used to place the top half onto the bottom half. Greg commended the entire installation process saying, “Everything flowed well, they had a plan and they executed it smoothly.”
During the installation, two separate crews worked simultaneously to expedite the process. One crew assembled the bottom section of the tank, while the other worked on the top section. “This approach made the whole process more efficient” Greg stated.
When asked if he would recommend KlipTank to other businesses around the country, Greg said,
“I would definitely recommend them on the product they have delivered and how it was carried out. All our expectations have been met, and they’ve been a good company to deal with.”
The successful installation of the KlipTank irrigation water tank at Titirangi Golf Club resolved their water management challenges and provided a long-term solution. KlipTank’s ability to understand and address site-specific constraints, along with their efficient installation process, ensured a positive experience for the client.
TITIRANGI GOLF CLUB
Auckland, New Zealand
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Meet the team
Kim HendersonDirector
Kim co-founded KlipTank in 2009 and become owner in 2021, after returning to New Zealand from the United States.
For 26 years overseas, Kim worked in the oil and gas industry across the Middle East and US.
His forte is starting greenfield units, which he did for his own flexible hydraulic hose business in the Middle East, Turkey, Singapore, the United States, Oman and China. His grown-up children still reside in the United States.
Kim returned to New Zealand to be closer to extended family and is now involved in the day to day running of KlipTank, with big plans for the expansion of the business.
From KlipTank’s home in Tauranga, he is now looking forward to guiding the company’s growth in the area of water security and providing water storage solutions for fire safety, potable water, horticulture and waste-water.
A redesign of KlipTanks products and manufacturing processes since 2021 has also allowed for flat packing of the tanks into containers for export.
He is extremely proud of what the hardworking KlipTank team has achieved and is looking forward to recruiting more great people.
Outside of work he has a passion for motorcycles, boats, and muscle cars and is a firm believer that the correct number of toys you should own, is one more than you have.
Ruan MeyerGeneral Manager
Ruan and his family moved to New Zealand from South Africa 5 years ago, bringing with him extensive experience in mechanical engineering and a proven track record in completing projects on time and within budget.
He is currently the General Manager at KlipTank, recently promoted from being Operations Manager where he still manages the day-to-day operations of KlipTank and leads the team. He is focussed on seeing projects through to completion and working in unison to achieve KlipTank’s short and long-term goals.
Ruan started his career as a Fitter & Turner tradesperson at a power station in South Africa before studying for a national diploma in mechanical engineering.
He then moved to Malvern Engineering Works in Johannesburg as an estimator and project co-ordinator, and later worked as production manager, manufacturing mine process equipment. He then became project and maintenance manager for Mertech Marine in Cape Town, a company which manages ships that retrieve redundant telecommunications cables & equipment from the seabed and mechanically disassemble & recycle the materials.
Since moving to New Zealand, he’s worked for HCD flow conveying, Baytext as Aluminium WS Engineering Supervisor, PFS as PE doing ASME pressure vessel and piping projects and Fabworx engineering PM including leading the Structural project to install 80 tonnes of steel at the new Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa in Rotorua.
Ruan is a family man with two children and enjoys weekends on the beach, in the backyard and biking or walking local trails. He has found a great network of other ‘Saffas’ in the Bay, including close friends who have become like Kiwi family.
Ian JamiesonSales Manager
Ian Jamieson joined KlipTank 10 years ago, bringing with him an extensive sales and business background in the IT and mechanical engineering industries. He has owned his own businesses in both fields and has an extensive formal education in engineering, including a degree in process engineering.
Ian’s wide ranging, technical skill set lends itself well to KlipTank’s philosophy of solving problems for its customers and being solutions-focussed.
He particularly likes working with New Zealand’s vital dairy industry and has found farmers to be excellent businesspeople who display incredible resilience.
He enjoys building strong relationships with his customers and getting to know their businesses – including their storage requirements – which are often planned years in advance.
He also has a Farm Dairy Effluent Design & Management Certificate from Massey University, allowing him to assist farmers with dairy effluent system design and storage calculations for consent purposes.
Outside the office, Ian is a self-confessed motorsport nut – coming from a long line of engineers with petrol in their veins. He enjoys motorsport engineering, riding his vintage motorbike and motocross. He also plays music, loves to travel and enjoys a good wine - particularly French.