“Don’t you just play
cards all winter?”
Oftentimes during our
interactions with family, friends, and acquaintances during the winter a great
level of bewilderment is displayed when the question of “How’s work?” gets the
response of “Busy!” The natural
assumption displayed in this instance is that when the grass is not growing, we
are not working. In all fairness, and
partially due to our own “back of the house” mentality, there is a level of
naivety with the golf course maintenance profession that should be
expected. Therefore, allow us to open
the window and paint a clearer picture into what our operation has been up to
over the last 120 days.
The most important part of these
endeavors is a solid plan formulated via thorough evaluation of the past year, inclusive
of both successes and challenges. This
applies to all aspects of our operation including staff development, building
facility condition, planned long-term projects and, most importantly, turfgrass
health. With this plan in place,
budgets, materials, contractors, staff, etc. can be assembled and, when winter
arrives, we park the mowers and put on our other hat.
Despite the impacts of cold, snow
and ice, the majority of our time in the winter is actually spent on the golf
course ensuring that the many acres of native grasses, understory and trees are
properly maintained prior to the resumption of growth in the spring. This includes removing invasive weed species
such as Sumac; pruning low hanging and dead limbs; and removing those trees
whose health is declined and now pose a hazard.
This work also focuses on the perimeters of the course between these
various areas to ensure each has its own defined boundary and identity.
Brush cutting invasive understory
plant material
Removal of dead branches and low limbs
on strategic tree near 7th green
Beyond the enormity of our tree
management program, considerable time is also spent in the upkeep of our John
Deere equipment fleet. This including
the sharpening of in excess of 50 individual cutting units; making any
necessary repairs to bearings, rollers, etc.; adding accessories that improve
efficiency; and washing/detailing over 100 different units that are put through
the paces each golf season.
Finally, a major undertaking that
we task ourselves with is ensuring the presentation, efficiency, and upkeep of
buildings. As each year elicits new
challenges, we learn more about what “works” and what needs adjustment with our
facilities and dedicate time to improve organization, make necessary repairs,
and add components to aid in staff development and safety. This scope of work has included installation
of pallet shelving for storage of bulk materials; stripping and refinishing of
slippery floors; installing pressurized air systems to assist with equipment
cleaning and maintenance; and completing normal routine procedures such as
painting, floor waxing, and light repairs.
Before installation of
shelving
After installation
While all of these tasks within
themselves stretch our resources to their capacity, we must also remain aware
of the one unknown that each winter brings…..SNOW!!! As our facility encompasses a multitude of
buildings, parking areas, and sidewalks, our staff must also ensure that when
the white stuff falls, we ensure safe passage for all those who call Deere Run
home and those who pay us a visit.
We hope that this glimpse into
our operation has highlighted the great year-round efforts of our team that
result in the conditions we provide each day.
Although we will always get the puzzled looks about some aspect of our
profession, we have enjoyed answering this long-held question, and eagerly
await our next opportunity to talk about our operation.
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