Careful planning and proper budgeting help superintendents gear up for the capital equipment decisions needed to keep properties in top condition.
For golf course superintendents, capital planning is as cyclical as the seasons. And their equipment decisions can have just as much influence on golf course conditions as the weather. Fortunately, however, with careful planning and budgeting, superintendents can have more control over their equipment than on the whims of Mother Nature.
Meeting of the Minds
Because the various departments at club properties are competing for resources, or sometimes have overlapping duties, teamwork is an important part of the capital planning and budgeting process.
Summing It Up• Golf course properties typically replace greens mowers and other heavily used equipment every four or five years, but keep equipment such as tractors or rough mowers, which are used less frequently, for about 20 years. |
“Every year we submit and update a five-year capital equipment replacement plan,” says Sean Hoolehan, CGCS, Golf and Grounds Superintendent at Wildhorse Resort & Casino in Pendleton, Ore.
As the first step of the acquisition process, Hoolehan submits a request for the equipment on his list for the current year to the property’s controller. “That doesn’t mean you’re going to get it,” he says. “Each department is competing for capital purchases, so you need to make a case for what you want to purchase.”
He fills out documentation and answers questions about any item he wants to purchase: How will it affect customer satisfaction? Is it necessary for safety? How will it affect other departments?
Once Hoolehan submits his requests, the controller of Wildhorse Resort & Casino checks to see if the items are on his five-year plan, and passes the documentation on to the resort’s chief executive officer. The property also has an executive committee that allocates resources.
However, Hoolehan adds, “Just filling out the form is never enough. Just because I say I need it or that it’s in the budget doesn’t mean I’ll get it. Sometimes I will have to provide additional documentation.”
The Wildhorse golf course maintenance department also has a depreciation schedule for its equipment. As a result, notes Hoolehan, “There will be money for capital purchases every year.”
Items on his list can “move up or back a year,” adds Hoolehan, who has worked at Wildhorse for 20 years and has answered to the same boss for 18 of those years. “I’m not going to ask for it unless I absolutely still need it this year,” he states. “When I make a request, it’s generally understood that I need it.”
Sometimes, however, his department, which shares responsibilities with the property’s facilities and custodial departments, is not the only one that needs something on its wish list. If, for instance, Hoolehan wants to remodel the golf course restrooms, input would also be needed from the director of the facilities maintenance department.
Getting the Right Buy-In
At Shackamaxon Country Club in Scotch Plains, N.J., Golf Course Superintendent Fred Parcells meets with Managing Partner Chris Schiavone to discuss the golf course and its maintenance practice and equipment needs.
Quality, Service, and TrustCapital planning is an important part of a golf course superintendent’s responsibilities, and relationships with vendors are an influential piece of the process. “All the machines are good, but they aren’t all the same,” says Sean Hoolehan, Certified Golf Course Superintendent and Golf and Grounds Superintendent at Wildhorse Resort & Casino in Pendleton, Ore. Hoolehan, who has equipment from a variety of manufacturers, says he looks for good service from distributors when he purchases machinery. He also believes it is important to develop great relationships with sales representatives and service departments. “If you have a fleet of equipment primarily from one distributor or one manufacturer, you really need to have a partnership with that company,” Hoolehan says. “It’s important that the relationship is good and that you can get the parts you need when you need them.” Working at a property that is 200 miles from the nearest distributor, Hoolehan also says the distributor must have a knowledgeable staff that can communicate well by telephone call or text. However, he adds, “Good equipment trumps all of that. Good equipment doesn’t break down.” David Lee, Golf Course Superintendent at Hope Valley Country Club in Durham, N.C., also looks for quality and service when selecting a vendor. Fred Parcells, Golf Course Superintendent at Shackamaxon Country Club in Scotch Plains, N.J., relies on the price and functionality of the equipment, as well as loyalty to the company. “We like to work with vendors that we’re familiar with,” he adds. |
“Communication between the superintendent and the manager and owner of the property is key to planning what the golf course needs and how the equipment will be used to achieve the goals,” says Parcells. Input is also provided by an advisory committee of Shackamaxon members.
Equipment needs depend on factors such as green speeds and overall course conditions, says Schiavone. “When you’re dealing with a budget and can’t have everything, you have to prioritize what you need to do and have equipment purchases that match expectations,” he explains.
At Hope Valley Country Club in Durham, N.C., Golf Course Superintendent David Lee meets annually with the club’s general manager and finance committee to make decisions about capital planning. At this meeting, Lee’s recommendations and the operational and capital budget for the next year are reviewed. “We meet in the summer, so we can have plans in place by the beginning of the year and buy equipment before the golf season starts,” Lee reports.
Powers of Persuasion
Sometimes, however, superintendents realize they have a need for equipment that isn’t in the capital plan. Hoolehan, for example, has discovered the need for additional equipment during meetings with other department heads. About a year ago, a committee was created that also includes Wildhorse’s hotel manager and custodial and facilities directors, to brainstorm about ways to achieve stated goals such as improving the property’s cleanliness and appearance.
“We saw gaps in the way we handled outside maintenance for the sidewalks, curbs, and parking lots,” notes Hoolehan. “We decided that if we cleaned them more, it would look better. My department had never done it, but we thought we could fit it in.”
So while it wasn’t in his budget, Hoolehan requested a steam cleaner for the sidewalks and curbs, presenting the idea, which was approved, as something that resulted from the group collaboration.
Effective communication is particularly important when it comes to new, innovative pieces of equipment that are not in the budget. When these occasions arise, Schiavone trusts the judgment of golf course superintendents. “They keep their ear to the ground on innovations in the marketplace when it comes to equipment,” he notes.
Shackamaxon CC recently acquired a new, state-of-the-art subsurface aeration machine for the greens. Before the property purchased it, however, the manufacturer brought the machine to the club to demonstrate it for the staff firsthand. “We wanted to see if it was going to be functional on our property and in our situation,” says Parcells.
Parcells also stays up-to-date about new equipment by reading trade magazines, conducting research on the Internet, talking to sales representatives and comparing notes with other superintendents. Shackamaxon also takes advantages of relationships it has established, such as with a golf course architect and agronomist who teaches at nearby Rutgers University. “We utilize people who have knowledge about golf course equipment” says Schiavone.
Almost Like NewOne of the best ways to make equipment last is to adhere to a regular preventive maintenance schedule, and meticulous recordkeeping is a key component of that process. “The staff does regular daily checks and records the hours they operate the equipment. They monitor the hours and fuel usage. Timely maintenance is critical to the longevity of the equipment,” reports Sean Hoolehan, CGCS, Golf and Grounds Superintendent at Wildhorse Resort & Casino in Pendleton, Ore. In addition, he says, a property’s equipment technician must be knowledgeable about the equipment and have strong communication skills as well. “We talk about how much the equipment costs with employees, and they take pride in their equipment,” says Hoolehan. “We also think about how comfortable and user-friendly the equipment is for our employees to operate.” At Wildhorse Resort, the golf course maintenance staff members read the owner’s and operator’s manuals and watch the accompanying instructional videos as part of their training. “We tell them not to do anything dangerous. If something feels wrong or dangerous, stop. There’s a mistake,” Hoolehan reports. He also subscribes to a golf course industry training service, which provides instructional videos and Q-and-As. The maintenance staff at Shackamaxon Country Club in Scotch Plains, N.J. also keeps meticulous records to track the number of hours that its equipment has been used, and the routine maintenance schedule is based on the number of hours of usage. For example, the mechanic will grease a piece of equipment after five hours of use and change the oil after it has been used for 20 hours. His mechanic is vital to keeping the equipment running smoothly, says Shackamaxon’s Golf Course Superintendent, Fred Parcells. “We have an aggressive maintenance program to extend the life of the equipment,” he adds. Under its preventive maintenance program, Hope Valley Country Club in Durham, N.C. invests $40,000 to $45,000 a year in equipment repairs. “We don’t do anything any differently from anybody else,” says Golf Course Superintedent David Lee. “We fix the things that break.” He has seen several changes to golf course maintenance equipment through the years. “It’s like a car now. It’s much more technical,” he explains. “If it breaks down, you have to hook it up to a computer to figure out what’s wrong with it.” Proper storage of equipment will extend its life as well. Wildhorse Resort keeps most of its golf course maintenance equipment indoors. Storing equipment in a properly maintained facility with a clean floor makes it easier to spot leaks and helps to provide employees with equipment that is not dusty, dirty or wet, notes Hoolehan. Well-maintained and up-to-date equipment also helps the property attract and retain good employees, he adds. Wildhorse Resort keeps larger pieces such as tractors and older equipment outside, especially during the regular golf season from March through October. Shackamaxon and Hope Valley also store most of their equipment, except for large pieces like tractors, inside. “It definitely helps to extend the life of the equipment if we can keep it in the facility,” notes Purcells. “We also rotate the pieces of equipment and their duties, to extend their life.” |
The Lease You Can Do
Whether a property leases or purchases its equipment often depends on personal preference. However, it can depend on the equipment itself as well.
Up until two years ago, says Hoolehan, Wildhorse had a mix of leased and purchased equipment. However, Hoolehan prefers to buy his equipment. “We depreciate, so there is a pool there to make that purchase,” he says.
Wildhorse trades in old equipment with the purchase of new pieces as part of its negotiations. “It’s a strong position to be in with some of the distributors when you can pay cash,” notes Hoolehan. “It helps if you have good cash flow. You can get better terms that way.”
Shackamaxon CC has a mix of leased and purchased equipment. The property purchases equipment that it will keep for the long term, and leases machinery that has a shorter life span. However, the property tries to be opportunistic with its purchases as well. For example, when a nearby property went out of business, Shackamaxon bought some of its used equipment at a good price.
Shackamaxon also leases equipment that will need to be replaced within the term of the lease. With a lease, notes Schiavone, the property also doesn’t have to worry about trying to sell the equipment or trade it in later.
Hope Valley CC purchases the majority of its equipment or leases pieces of equipment with a $1 buyout after three to five years. Lee, who has been at the club for 10 years, says the property owned all of its equipment when he arrived. “It was in good shape because of the commitment to own it,” he says. “It didn’t make sense to overhaul what they’d been doing.” Hope Valley’s maintenance department also trades out its old equipment when it acquires new pieces, he notes.
Replace and Repurpose
Whether properties purchase or lease their equipment, however, the replacement cycle for machinery generally depends on the piece of equipment. Wildhorse, for instance, replaces its greens mowers every five years.
“That’s as long as I want a machine on the greens regularly,” says Hoolehan. “Every golfer is going to end up on the green. He might never see a fairway. The look and consistency of the greens are important.”
Hoolehan tries to keep his greens mowers on the same replacement schedule, and likes for them to be the same age and have the same conditions. Wildhorse replaces larger fairway and rough mowers every seven or eight years.
When it comes to capital planning and equipment usage, superintendents sometimes need to think creatively as well. Properties often purchase equipment for one job, but then use it for other tasks once it has outlived its original purpose.
“We have a fairway mower that’s 13 years old, but now we only use it for the 1.5-acre driving range two times a week,” notes Hoolehan.
He also uses former greens mowers on the tees and aprons.
“We can get another five years out of a lot of those machines,” he says. “We have a little more leeway when we move from cutting from 1/8 inch to just below a half-inch. There are things that wouldn’t show up at a half-inch cut, but would at a 1/8-inch cut.”
The ability to repurpose equipment is one of the advantages of purchasing it, Hoolehan adds. “If we got three new greens mowers under a lease, then they would go away,” he explains. “We couldn’t move them to another part of the course.
When we purchase equipment, we can run it through its life cycle better and get more out of it. We have some equipment that is 19 years old and still running.”
At Shackamaxon and Hope Valley, the superintendents also replace greens mowers and other equipment that receives daily use every four or five years. Turnover periods for large pieces of equipment, such as tractors or rough mowers, range from 10 to 20 years at all of the properties.
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