I threaten way back at the beginning of the year to create a maintenance standard that outlines the course maintenance. Obviously, it would be best to have it all done at once but this year (most years, it seems) has been tight on office time once the season got going. I will place an evolving draft copy in the clubhouse next to the handicap computer for your reading pleasure. Ideally, a standard would be developed by numerous individuals from a good cross section of golfing members, manager, and directors. That is a lot of people to get together for a number of meetings. Instead I used the online survey people filled out this spring as the bench mark for the basic maintenance practices. I've furthered "fleshed" out the maintenance practices to provide information as a reference in the event there is a question regarding any of the maintenance. Take a look and I'll tweak it as I get more done.
Golf course wise it's been a typical spring with disease, hydraulic leaks, snow, snapped axles, cracked frames, and lots of seed head on the greens and fairways (take a look at the right of #4 fairway by the big tree; there is so much seed head the grass hardly looks green!). The mechanic has been swamped with our "new" used equipment starting to show some of why it was traded in not to mention all the sh*t he has to repair on our old stuff. The only thing really working out, and I know I've said this before, is the staff. Not having to train or baby sit opens me up to filling in on the course where we have man power gaps.
This month we will try to catch up on some of the stuff delayed for various reason (aerating and top dressing collars and top dressing greens). Extra ordinary projects we've undertaken (completing the #7 mini irrigation expansion and re-fencing the maintenance compound) have kept us busy as well.
Volunteer work this month will be highlighted on the deck and in the beds around the club house as all the plants and pots were planted by a group players on their own time. Take a look.
