A small savings here and there on the golf course might seem minor, but money-saving techniques can add up. This was the message at a session titled “Thinking outside the box – cost savings” at the recent Ohio Turfgrass Conference in Columbus. A panel of five golf industry professionals shared their ideas, ranging from golf course design to labor, that help them cut costs without compromising quality on the course.
When golf course architect Jason Straka, who works for Columbus, Ohio-based Hurdzan/Fry Golf Course Design, works with courses that are looking to keep costs down, he suggests a number of maintenance-friendly designs. This includes designating more low-maintenance areas on the course.
“Sometimes I’m called in for renovations, and I’m astounded to see how much turf these courses are maintaining,” he says.
Low-maintenance turf is one way to decrease the workload. Bluegrass and fine fescue varieties require less mowing than normal.
Another way to reduce maintenance from the beginning is to fight for a simple design, Straka says. Turf areas should be able to be quickly accessed and mowed. Keep larger equipment in mind when designing the areas around the bunkers to make sure the equipment reach those areas.
Whether it’s a new course or one like the 82-year-old Turkeyfoot Lakes Golf Links in Akron, Ohio, steps can be taken to work with the maintenance budget that’s available. Charlie Mozingo, superintendent at Turkeyfoot, plans to use a plant growth regulator in the rough to reduce the amount of mowing needed in that area.
“Maybe we’ll be able to mow once a week instead of twice a week,” he says.
Al Brant of the Columbus Municipal Golf Division emphasizes cultural practices to avoid or lessen the occurrence costly problems.
“We’re interseeding our bluegrass fairways with improved varieties,” he says. “We’re seeing a change in the biodiversity of that turf. The goal is to wean ourselves completely from fungicides.”
Before interseeding, Brant uses the PGR Embark. Burger says his courses have been able to decrease their fairway mowing frequency to once a week by using Primo. Panel members acknowledge that they would use the PGRs even if they didn’t see them as money savers.
Money can be saved in other areas of the course as well. Brant has found barley straw to be an inexpensive way to clear up the algae in the golf course’s pond.
To reduce labor costs, employers should offer nonincome incentives to employees, Straka says. Consider options such as free rounds of golf, flex hours, merchandise discounts or free lunches. Mozingo has taken off with this idea. Volunteers - mostly retirees - come to help with maintenance when they can and are rewarded with free golf.
Doug Burger works for the golf division of the Hamilton County (Ohio) Park District. Cold weather forces the course to close during the winter, so he hires his employees on a seasonal basis rather than on a full-time basis.
“We all know what full-time pay and fringe benefits cost compared to good seasonal help,” he says, adding that most of the employees come back each year because they’re retirees so they don’t look for other jobs at the end of the golf season.
If there’s an item in the maintenance budget that’s underfunded and needs a closer look, superintendents should work with the course’s board members, Straka says.
“If you can keep the board members actively involved in budgeting, you can let them know which areas have more importance and which areas need more focus,” he says.
Straka recommends superintendents have a copy of the Golf Course Items Expected Life Cycle guide that several associations in the golf industry recently published. This will give a board a better idea of when to budget for replacing certain items.
When Jean Esposito, superintendent of Hinckley Hills Golf Course in northeast Ohio, needs to replace maintenance equipment, she finds items at a discount at auctions. The staff takes a preventive approach maintaining the equipment. Esposito also is creative when coming up with time-saving equipment for the course. She added a log splitter to a Toro mower engine to make a portable tree-care machine.
Alternatives like these can add up, leaving courses with a little more room in the budget. Straka advises superintendents not to be afraid to try different things.
“Don’t always assume the most expensive option is going to be the best,” he says.
