"What Does the Staff Do All Winter?"

The most frequently asked question we get this time of year from customers is always "what do you and your staff do all winter.  The grass does not need mowing, right?"  Well, one of my first responses is always that we get some time away from work.  After a grueling golf season, most of the staff is ready for some time off with family, friends, or simply away from the course.  Some of us are fortunate to have plenty of accumulated vacation time to use that we do not get a chance to take during the season.  We will use that time liberally during the winter months when the golf course is typically getting a break itself and is not in need of daily monitoring and maintenance.  

After the holidays, we are always anxious to get started on our winter projects.   One of the most time-consuming projects we undertake annually is the task of refurbishing our golf course accessories.  The list of accessories in need of attention includes 27 aluminum ball washers, 18 wooden divot mix containers, 20 wooden trash cans, 4 wooden cooler/trash can enclosures, 200 bunker rakes and 180 custom-made tee markers.  This can be a daunting task with a staff that is now down to 4!

Ball Washer Refurbishing





All 27 ball washers are disassembled, cleaned, repaired and prepped for a fresh coat of paint! 




One of our four cooler house/ trash can enclosures gets a full renovation.  This one needs more work than the others with some rotten wood being replaced.  This particular enclosure came from #3 tee.  We believe that this one tends to need more in-depth renovation because of its close proximity to irrigation cycles throughout the season.  We will then prime all of the wood and prepare for fresh paint.



This is an older version of our tee marker that we used two seasons ago made from clear cedar.  All 180 markers were designed, cut, sanded and finished by our staff.  The only part of this marker that we purchased was the medallion that we fixed to the center.  These markers took us 6 weeks to complete.  To buy a marker similar to this one pre-built out of a catalog would cost anywhere from $45-$55 a piece.  Simple math tells you that we cannot afford to buy something like this! ($45x180=$8,100)  We were able to build these markers in-house for about $6 each.  We really wanted to replace the older style mini-bowling ball markers with something with a bit more refinement.  I think we were able to do that with these custom made markers.



Of course this is just the inside work.  In the next post we will look at some of the winter projects that we look to get completed when the weather permits.  We will look at doing some tree work, drainage installation, sodding, and landscaping among others.  I will also discuss some of the excitement on hole #8!