When it comes to irrigation, control means everything. Superintendents know the conditions they want — but achieving them consistently across an entire course can be challenging.
That’s why TerraRad partnered with Toro to bring turfRad soil moisture data into the Lynx® Central Control system through Spatial Adjust software. The result is a system that not only shows you where your turf is dry or wet, but also automatically recommends the exact sprinkler adjustments needed to create playing conditions more uniform than ever previously possible.
Spatial Adjust officially launched in 2026 — and the results from early adopters speak for themselves.
Traditional irrigation relies heavily on evapotranspiration (ET) data — a weather-based estimate of how much water turf has lost. ET is useful, but it doesn’t tell you what’s actually happening in the root zone across your course right now.
turfRad closes that gap. Using passive L-band microwave technology, the sensor measures volumetric water content (VWC) at a depth of about 7 cm (3 in) as the vehicle it’s mounted on moves across the course. Once the vehicle returns to the maintenance facility, data uploads automatically to the turfRad cloud and feeds directly into Lynx® Central Control. Within minutes, detailed color-coded moisture maps show exactly where turf is wet, dry, or on target — not estimated, but measured.
This shifts irrigation from replacing estimated water loss to irrigating based on actual field conditions, sprinkler by sprinkler.
The integration between turfRad and Spatial Adjust follows a simple cycle:
Each sprinkler gets its own Target VWC — the moisture level Spatial Adjust works to maintain. It evaluates the measured moisture from turfRad, accounts for forecast ET from the DTN weather network, and calculates whether a sprinkler needs more runtime, less, or none at all. It can even fully suspend a head if there’s enough moisture to get through the day without dipping below target.
Think of it like a thermostat. You don’t manually turn your heating on and off based on how cold you feel — the system measures the temperature and delivers exactly the heat needed to maintain the set level. turfRad is the thermometer. Spatial Adjust is the control system. Target VWC is the temperature you’ve set.
When using turfRad with Spatial Adjust, two settings matter — and it’s worth knowing the difference.
turfRad Midpoint controls how moisture is displayed on the turfRad map. It defines what shows as green (optimal), red (dry), or blue (wet) for each area type. Greens might have one Midpoint, fairways another. It’s a display and interpretation setting — it helps you read field conditions at a glance. A good starting point: find an area you consider in optimal condition, measure it with your preferred method, and set that as your Midpoint.
Spatial Adjust Target VWC is the moisture level each individual sprinkler works toward. This is what drives irrigation decisions. When you first activate Spatial Adjust, Target VWC values are populated based on the first turfRad scan — giving you a real-world baseline to start from. From there, you can fine-tune: bump down targets for shaded spots or low-lying areas, bump up targets for south-facing slopes or fast-draining sections.
The Shift Mode feature makes this easy to do at scale. You can raise or lower targets for an entire fairway — or the whole course — by a set percentage, observe how turf responds, and continue dialing in from there. It’s a systematic way to optimize without making large changes all at once.
For a deeper dive into Midpoint, Target VWC, and Shift Mode, view the Help Center article.
Spatial Adjust doesn’t just show deviation — it calculates run-time recommendations for each sprinkler. Instead of relying on rough guesses like 120% or 75%, it might suggest 118%, 166%, or 76%, dialing irrigation in with accuracy.
As Jason Habeck, Toro NSN Irrigation Trainer, explains:
“Look at the precision and the accuracy of this. It wants to go to 118, 166, 76. What we’ve seen with our beta test sites is Spatial Adjust really dials in the moisture content.”
With just a few clicks, superintendents can apply these optimized settings across hundreds of sprinklers in Lynx. Stations can be excluded individually — combining automation with control.
On days when no new scan data is available, Spatial Adjust draws on ET forecasts, rainfall, crop coefficients, and historical data to calculate suggested irrigation amounts, ensuring continuity in daily decision-making.
The improvements at beta sites have been striking. As Habeck notes:
“When we first bring a course on, there’s typically a 15–20% variation between their target and actual soil moisture. Within just two to three weeks of scanning with turfRad and using Spatial Adjust daily, that variation drops to within 0–3% of target.”
Steve Datwyler, Director of Grounds at Ravenna Country Club, put it plainly:
“The efficiency is incredible. I started using Spatial Adjust on one hole and have now expanded to all 18. I’m using less water than before — after pushing the updates, it was 90,000 gallons less. One of my long-time employees even commented that he’s never seen the moisture so consistent across the fairway.”
Matt Gourlay, Superintendent at Hillcrest Country Club and four-season turfRad user, was equally direct:
“Anybody that doesn’t have turfRad and or the Spatial Adjust option, you’re behind the eight ball.”
The benefits compound quickly:
The value of Spatial Adjust isn’t automation alone. It’s the combination of measurement and action — turfRad and Spatial Adjust working together to maintain consistency in an ever-changing environment.
turfRad gives every sprinkler a measured moisture value. Spatial Adjust turns that data into irrigation decisions. Together, they move courses from spatially uniform estimated water replacement to sprinkler-level measured moisture management — and the results show it.
