Reducing the number of course accessories gave Dudones and his staff more time for agronomic and detail work. 

“We’re filling divots on tees more often, mowing the rough more frequently and spending more time fine-tuning the putting greens,” said Dudones. “Playing conditions are better and the course has an improved look and feel. Our golfers have really noticed the difference.” 

The labor shortage in the golf course maintenance industry is not just a problem for a few courses; it affects golf courses in all regions, at all budget levels. When labor hours must be devoted to less critical conveniences such as ball washers, time is taken away from improving course conditions.   

As Oatis reasoned, “Most golfers find a way to clean their ball prior to putting, so why have a ball washer on the next tee? When labor is scarce, courses need to decide what is most important.”

Rocky River Golf Club is a city-owned, hotel-operated golf course in Concord, N.C., with a golf course maintenance staff of 11 – including the superintendent, assistant superintendent and mechanic. With a small staff and a busy facility, some of the more labor-intensive design features and maintenance programs were becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

Superintendent Joel White and the management at Rocky River recognized that they were on an unsustainable path.

“We needed to completely change how we maintained the golf course without detracting from the golf experience,” said White. “We began using triplexes to mow greens instead of walk-behind mowers, saving approximately 40 labor hours per week while maintaining excellent mowing quality. We also eliminated the intermediate rough around the fairways and lowered the height of the primary rough. That saved 15 labor hours per week and improved pace of play.”

White and his team also removed more than 100 ornamental grass plantings, saving 300-400 labor hours per year and reducing the number of lost golf balls.  

“We reallocated all that staff time toward improving playing conditions and quickly started seeing the benefits.”  

Rocky River is currently performing a bunker renovation project to further improve the golf experience and reduce bunker maintenance.

“We are eliminating out-of-play bunkers and those that pose serious maintenance issues,” said White. “We are also scaling down some of the remaining bunkers to lower costs while preserving the strategic intent.”

Along with reducing the number and size of bunkers, they are also softening the steepness of sand faces, improving bunker drainage and installing new bunker liners. These efforts will enhance playing conditions and reduce the risk of washouts that need repair after a heavy rain.  

“We used to spend about 70-80 hours per week on routine bunker maintenance,” said White. “Through this project we’re hoping to get that number down to 30-40 hours per week. We can put the time saved into further improving playing conditions on other parts of the course.” 

The benefits of the labor-saving efforts at Rocky River are impressive. They have reversed an unsustainable economic path while continuing to build on their positive reputation. “Golfers are appreciating the improved conditions and attention to detail, and we’re seeing that generate significant value for the facility,” said White. 

USGA Agronomist Patrick O’Brien worked with Rocky River during this process and said, “What Joel and his staff have done to streamline and focus their maintenance operation can be done at courses everywhere. The labor shortage affecting the golf course maintenance industry is a serious challenge, but it is also a tremendous opportunity for facilities to re-evaluate their practices and focus resources where they matter most.”