Alright crew, grab a donut and fill your coffee cups. Today I'm going to introduce you to a new association available for all golf course maintenance crewmembers. It won’t cost anything to join, and you don't have to travel to attend meetings. Wherever you are, that’s your meeting place.
As you may or may not know, there are many trade associations in the golf industry; GCSAA and locals, ASGCE, IGCEMA, PGA, USGA, BIGGA, to name but a few. Since crewmembers are usually not quite qualified to join the associations mentioned, you are cordially invited to join the Association of Professional Turf Equipment Operators (APTEO). I guarantee there is a chapter available at your club.
As members of APTEO, you will reap the following benefits:
- A more enjoyable workday with less downtime and frustration.
- Better relations with members and fellow staff.
- Pride and satisfaction of a job well done.
- The possibility of rewards for acknowledgement of increased skills and abilities.
As with any association, there has been a specific set of bylaws written up that members need to adhere to in order to enjoy the benefits of membership.
Failure to adhere to these ‘easy-to-abide-by’ standards will disqualify you from the association, as well as possibly from your club.
These bylaws have been developed in order to further the advancement of your club, enhance your working experience, and improve your attitude about your job by increasing your level of professionalism.
These bylaws are written in the form of a creed, or oath, for all crewmembers to pledge. Please don't make your superintendent or turf equipment technician develop some sort of form so you have to 'sign out' equipment every day.
So without further fanfare, I bring you: The APTEO Creed:
As a Professional Turf Equipment Operator, and member of APTEO, I promise to:
1. Treat equipment with respect and reverence; because it doesn't belong to me I am only borrowing it for the day.
Professionalism starts with responsible use and care of equipment that belongs to THE CLUB, not you. Believe it or not, the club didn’t purchase it so you could take it out on the course and beat it to death.
2. Perform a 'walk around' my equipment before operating it:
You should perform a DAILY check of the oil, tire pressure, belts, hoses, and the floor for any leakages - don't wait for 'The Other Guy' to do it.
3. Thoroughly warm up my equipment on colder days.
Hydraulic fluid performs better at higher operating temperatures - too much pressure on cold systems can cause gasket, hose and fitting failures leaving you and your turf a slimy mess.
4. Check fuel in equipment BEFORE leaving the shop, not waiting for 'The Other Guy' to do it. If you run out of fuel, it’s on you.
Running out of fuel during the work day only leads to inefficiency, downtime, lost productivity, frustration.
4a. Choose the proper fuel.
Fueling your gasoline engine with diesel fuel, or vice-versa, wastes time, money, energy, and can lead to engine and equipment damage and failure. Not to mention making you look like a rookie, not a professional.
5. Pay attention to the task at hand while operating the equipment.
Thinking about anything other than the task at hand leads to skips, waves, scalps, digs, gouges, flats, dings, dents, breaks, leaks, and getting stuck. Oh yes, no texting while you’re mowing, either.
6. Use personal protective equipment and properly care for it by knowing where it is from one day to the next.
Your eyesight and hearing are important. Be sure to use eye and ear protection whenever necessary, but don't be careless with your personal protective equipment - keep it safe and functional. If you ‘left it right here’ yesterday and it’s gone today, it’s on you.
7. Be aware of the possibility of hose and fitting failure during operation, and move immediately to the cart path should one occur.
Spilled and leaking fuel or hydraulic fluid causes turf damage and loss. Your goal should be to maintain and improve turf, not kill it.
8. Know what 'normal' operation of different pieces of turf equipment is, so I can report anything that isn't normal to the Turf Equipment Technician.
Equipment that is running well has its own natural sound and behavior. Listen for irregularities in equipment operation even if you have permission to use your iPod.
9. Keep equipment on the path whenever possible to avoid unnecessary turf damage and the spreading of disease.
Driving willy-nilly around the golf course not only leaves unsightly tracks in the grass, it can lead to turf damage and the spreading of disease spores. Keep to the path where ever and whenever you're not 'supposed' to be on the turf in the process of maintaining it. i.e. - you don't have to drive up to the green in order to change the cup.
10. Allow enough time at days' end to thoroughly clean equipment of trash and clippings.
Mower blades are ground to the 1/1000 of an inch. When you don't clean blades off, the moisture from the clippings causes 'cavitation' on the metal, meaning the blades get pitted and more metal has to be ground down in the sharpening process. A little time with the hose is a lot better than a lot of time on the grinding wheel. And please get rid of the 15 empty drink cups and candy and chip wrappers.
11. Always be courteous to and give right-of-way to members and guests, realizing that without them, I would not have a job.
Golfers - either at a private or public club - pay good money for the opportunity to play your course. You work for them and are providing them with a product. It is your duty to not only be a part of creating that product (the golf course), but to allow them the opportunity to enjoy it. Give them the right of way at all times, help them when you can, don’t laugh out loud at their golf!
12. Encourage and assist fellow crewmembers to become members of the association.
It's not very productive to constantly criticize your fellow employees about their performance. You need to be a part of a team and help and encourage each other to do your best. It's for the good of the club and for the good of the crew. I dare you to complement your fellow employee once in awhile – see if morale doesn’t boost up a couple notches within the staff.
Are you ready to make the transition from 'Steering-Wheel-Holder' to a full-fledged professional member of the APTEO? If so, I'm sure your Golf Course Superintendent or Turf Equipment Technician will be more than happy to take your application.
About the author
Jim Black is a frequent GCI contributor and authors the monthly Digital Turfhead column.
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