Jason Happe contributed a list to the Hot Springs Star that details how he and his staff keep busy during the winter at the Hot Springs, S.D., golf course.
Jason Happe, Superintendent at Southern Hills Golf Course in Hot Springs, S.D., contributed a piece to the Rapid City, S.D.-based Hot Springs Star that details what he does at the golf course during the winter.
During the golfing season large amounts of revenue can be lost if you interrupt the game of golf by performing major course alterations. Maintenance programs during the golfing season are geared toward daily play or tournaments which leave very little time to do more than minor course improvements, Happe wrote. When I was an intern just starting in the business, I was taught that the biggest gains in golf course improvement are achieved in the off season. During the off season the maintenance crew is reduced to only two people and here are some of the general duties that are done during the winter:
Monitoring greens: If we get a lot of snow with freezing and thawing, we can quickly get ice build-up on the greens. If ice is formed, we have 60 days to get it off before we risk losing turf. Conversely, if we have no snow with high wind, the soil moisture levels can get so low that you can lose turf. So some winters we’re trying to get ice off and others we’re watering to keep moisture in, Happe wrote.
Monitoring course conditions: In addition to monitoring greens, other areas of the golf course are monitored for winter damage. Sometimes plugs are taken from the ground and are brought indoors and placed in a window sill and watered in hopes that they germinate. If they germinate, great! If not, we start ordering seed and fertilizer and make preparation for a spring planting, Happe wrote.
Pre-planning and advance ordering of fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals: Throughout the winter I’ll go through my new budget and develop programs for virtually everything we do. This is done to help control the spending so we’re not over-spending in one area while under-spending in another. For fertilizers and chemicals, these decisions are based on soil samples and past performance of the turfgrass. If we know we’re going to need something—i.e. fertilizer—we will purchase it at a reduced cost during the off season, Happe wrote.
Capital purchases: Similar to ordering chemicals, a lot of capital purchases require a bidding process that takes time to accurately compare and complete, Happe wrote.
Annual maintenance and repairs: While breakdowns during the summer cannot be eliminated, winter repair and maintenance goes a long way. Some equipment gets “rebuild kits” to reduce the chance of major breakdowns throughout the season. Dozens of blades and reels get sharpened, and more than 100 golf carts and other pieces of equipment get serviced, Happe wrote.
Irrigation system: Since the irrigation system is our life blood, all motors and pumps get annual maintenance and repair. Broken irrigation heads get fixed and tested so they are ready to be used during the upcoming season, Happe wrote.
But with all that we do in the winter, we also take time off. During the season, it’s hard to take time off when we see so much work that needs to be done. The winter is a time to recover and enjoy some time outside of the business, Happe wrote.
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