Labor challenges, a never-ending maintenance to-do list and full tee sheets make it difficult for golf course maintenance teams to prepare the course while working around play. Inspired by our goal of helping golf courses improve playing conditions and maintenance efficiency, the Green Section Education team began using #MaintenanceMonday for social media posts on a regular basis to highlight the benefits of closing a course for dedicated maintenance time. Many superintendents create social media posts using #MaintenanceMonday, but many others express frustration in not having the ability to close the course.
When asked why a maintenance day isn’t incorporated into the weekly or monthly schedule, losing revenue while the course is closed is often cited as a concern. Although a slight reduction in revenue can occur, the long-term benefits of maintenance days are well worth it. The key reasons for closing a golf course for all or part of a day each week include:
- Routine maintenance and larger projects can be completed efficiently, which allows the maintenance staff to deliver the best possible conditions.
- Employees can perform tasks faster when they don’t need to stop or move to a different hole to avoid play.
- It’s best to perform maintenance practices like venting and topdressing when a golf course is closed because they can be disruptive and potentially dangerous to perform during play.
- With a break in play, the maintenance team can complete disruptive tasks quickly and have things cleaned up before play resumes.
Maintenance days are even more important when you consider the labor shortage nearly every golf course is experiencing. Fewer employees and more rounds make keeping up more difficult than ever. Without adequate time, some important tasks simply cannot be completed, and golf course conditions suffer.
If a course can’t manage a full day without play, even dedicating a morning to maintenance can make a big difference. Another strategy is to create a gap of a few hours during the day without tee times. The maintenance team can then operate in the gap between groups without disrupting play.
For a golf course operation to be successful, course maintenance time needs to be a priority. Dedicating a day or a few hours each week to maintenance makes it possible to complete critical tasks without interfering with play. The end result is increased efficiency, better playing conditions and happier golfers.
Northeast Region Agronomists:
Adam Moeller, director, Green Section Education – amoeller@usga.org
Darin Bevard, senior director, Championship Agronomy – dbevard@usga.org
Elliott L. Dowling, senior consulting agronomist – edowling@usga.org