Time study

It is common to hear managers in an array of businesses talk about needing more staff. More things would be possible, more tasks could be completed and the overall product would improve. The same is true for golf course maintenance. The more labor a course has the more tasks that can be accomplished simultaneously. One might wonder: why does it take more people? Why can’t those tasks still be accomplished by a small crew just working faster? The answer lies in the length of time basic golf course maintenance tasks take to complete.

The many jobs on a golf course generally take an extensive time to complete. Courses vary in the jobs to be performed, equipment used for those jobs, and timing of when tasks can and must take place. The Grounds department at Bretton Woods tracks how long our tasks take in order to better manage our time, increase efficiency, and improve overall productivity. It is important for our planning purposes to understand the time requirements of each job, and it can also shed light on our routines and procedures for golfers to understand these time requirements as well.

Some of our regular maintenance tasks are listed below along with the time for completion. We track the time of other things we do as well, however they are far more fluid and may not be part of our daily maintenance. The jobs below are performed daily or every other day throughout the season:

·         

      Mowing greens

o   1 person; 3.25-3.75 hours

·         Rolling greens

o   1 person; 3-3.5 hours

o   2 people; 2-2.5 hours

·         Mowing tees

o   1 person; 6-6.5 hours

o   2 people; 4-5 hours

·         Mowing approaches

o   1 person; 3.5-4 hours

o   2 people; 2.5-3 hours

·         Mowing fairways

o   1 person; 7-8 hours

o   2 people; 6-6.75 hours

·         Mowing rough

o   Golf course rough only

§  1 person; 8 hours of mowing over the course of 3 days

§  2 people; 8 hours of mowing over the course of 2-2.5 days

o   Extra rough (Tennis/soccer area, open areas near entrance, large front field at entrance)

§  1 person; 8 hours of mowing over the course of 1.5 days

§  2 people; 6-7 hours

o   Rough around the greens

§  1 person; 8 hours of mowing over the course of 2 days

§  2 people; 6-6.5 hours

o   Rough around the tees

§  1 person; 8 hours of mowing over the course of 1.5 days

§  2 people; 6-6.5 hours

o   Intermediate rough around fairways

§  1 person; 3.5-4 hours

·         Changing cups

o   1 person; 2.5-3 hours

·         Raking bunkers

o   1 person; 4 hours

 *In each instance, the variability in time can be caused by the direction we mow, the order we follow, how many golfers catch and delay the machine, or by the experience of the operator.

Studying the time spent on each of these regular practices illustrates why planning and execution can be critical for our team. Performing a task that takes 4 hours leaves a staff member with only 4 hours left in their day to accomplish anything else. If something goes wrong and the task now takes 4.5 or 5 hours, we become severely limited in what else that staff member may be able to accomplish with the remaining hours in their day. Understanding where labor hours are spent also gives insight into the importance of prioritizing our assignments. Depending on the task, one staff member may only complete 2 or 3 main jobs over their shift. We must make sure those are the 2-3 most important things that person should be working on.

Getting the most out of everyone every day is our goal. We have to keep track of where time is spent in order to better perform all of our regular jobs.

Etiquette Reminder of the Week

Golf carts must always remain on cart paths once past the green and white posts, through the next tee complex. This is not weather dependent!

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Fairway turf update

The sod from last year’s construction work on holes 3, 15, 16, and 17 is making steady progress. This has been the biggest challenge of the entire summer thus far. We are working feverishly to get the turf as healthy as possible through these good growing conditions we are having in July. We promise that our frustration level matches or exceeds that of every golfer who sees the poor turf.

There is no manual for managing turf. We learn something new each day, week, month and year. So, trying to improve the conditions of the sod from last year, we have been trying all of the tricks we know, plus a few new things. 

First, we continue to give those areas that are weak additional fertilizer. By increasing the amount of nutrition in these areas, we promote continued growth without any lulls that may occur when a food reserve runs out.

We have also reduced the growth regulator we are applying to these areas. Instead of the regular regimen that is applied to existing turf, this new turf has been getting a slightly different treatment. One of the products we use has two chemicals that, in combination, regulate how the turf grows. This product does a very good job of stunting and almost stopping vertical growth completely. However, on the areas that we want to heal, this is too aggressive. We do want to regulate the growth, but not so severely. Instead, we have been using a different chemical, which promotes lateral growth instead of vertical growth. This chemical forces the plant to use its resources to grow sideways, which helps to fill the voids in the turf.

We have also adjusted our mowing habits on the weak areas of turf. We have raised the height at which we mow the grass. We have switched to a different, much lighter, triplex mower, instead of a heavier fairway mower. These two changes were based on the combination of observation and reviewing the notes regarding last year’s initial maintenance routine of the new sod. By studying how we mowed last year and with what machine, we were able to distinctly tell the difference in turf quality on the course. The new strategy is one we have only developed as we have progressed through the summer this year, however it is something we believe will help us improve last year’s sod, and we will use the same principles for this year’s sod as well.

Looking closely, the lines from the slicing can be seen as darker green in all 3 pictures.

Lastly, we have been trying to use the growth habits of the Bermuda grass in our favor. Bermuda grass is a very aggressive stolon and rhizome producing grass. These are above and below ground stems that create new plants. By cutting either the stolons or rhizomes, a new plant can begin to grow at the point of severance. This is one of the tenets of why we verticut the fairways. We can create new, vigorous plants that will continue to provide dense fairway turf. However, verticutting also removes old, dead tissue and thatch from the surface. In the case of the struggling areas, there is little, if any, dead tissue and, zero thatch that we want to remove; all that would be removed would be healthy tissue that we need. In order to obtain the benefits of cutting the stolons and rhizomes, yet not tear into the soil and rip out existing turf, we employed the services of a machine we already had, but which was meant for a much different task. Our Redexim over-seeder has discs that slice into the ground to create a groove for seed to lie. For this task, though, we did not have any seed in the hopper, but instead ran the machine “dry” to use only its slicing capabilities. Not tissue was removed, but the discs did a great job of slicing the stolons and rhizomes. While initially it looked as though we had simply sliced the turf to death, one step back brought us 2 steps forward. The turf continues to look better as time passes and we can now see the lines that were sliced being stronger and thicker turf than before.

Again, as a golfer plays their round, they see the bad turf on each of last year’s construction holes for the ten minutes they are on that particular hole. For the Grounds department though, we look at those holes 20 times a day. We are constantly trying to think with any strategy possible to provide better quality each day because we find the poor turf as unacceptable as anyone.

Etiquette Reminder of the Week

Remember to please replace or fill your divots both on the tees and in the fairways. No one wants to land in a divot in the fairway, but if a ball does happen to end up there, a sand filled divot is much better than bare soil.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Old bunker sand

What happens to all that old bunker sand during construction?

We run a very lean operation in the Grounds department. We have a large property to maintain and a small, skilled staff with which to accomplish our tasks. We cannot waste time or money. So, as construction gets underway again this summer, we have an opportunity to re-purpose some of the bunker sand that is being removed.

Last year, the old bunker sand was hauled down to the soccer complex to help build the new soccer field. It worked out wonderfully. If you have not been down there, the new soccer field is doing terrific and has been a welcome re-addition to the Bretton Woods experience. This year, though, there is no new soccer field to build. We have tons of sand that is being removed from the bunkers on holes 1 and 10, that needs a place to go. We are stockpiling it at the maintenance shop for now, because that is the best and most easily accessible location for us to keep it.

We have been preparing for the time when the sand would become available since the end of construction last year. We are always looking for ways to improve the course and the surplus of sand is a valuable material. We see the course every day, through all different conditions, which leads to many ideas forming in the minds of the Grounds department. When we get a downpour, we don’t hide in the shop and avoid getting wet. Instead we head out to see how the bunkers react and to see where the excess water flows and doesn’t flow. The areas where the excess water doesn’t flow, but instead puddles, brings us back to the topic of the old bunker sand.

Map of facility showing areas that need sand marked in orange

Construction work has eliminated many of our drainage issues already. When we complete the Master Plan we will have eliminated 99% of the drainage issues. It is not realistic for this type of renovation to correct 100% of the problem areas, however. It would take a complete course renovation with individual hole closures or an entire course closure to fix all the trouble spots, but, that 1% can still cause some issues around the course as a result. When we check the course after a storm, we see places that puddle and take notes. We have a map of the entire facility on which we mark areas that are in need of correcting. This is when having the bunker sand will come in handy. We take this old sand and we lightly topdress these low areas that puddle. By adding a light layer of sand in the lowest area, we gradually raise the center of the puddle until it is level with the surrounding area and no longer puddles. As seen in the pictures, the sand is spread over a predetermined area, then brushed in with a broom. Some areas we can add more sand than others. It is not an overnight fix, but within a couple of summers we can make major gains. One load of sand to be used for topdressing would cost somewhere between $1500-2000 depending on tonnage. We will salvage approximately 6-8 loads worth of sand from the bunkers on holes 1 and 10 alone, or a savings of $10,000 or more.

Sand excavated from #10 right green side bunker ONLY

Sand on #3 fairway

We won’t use all of the sand working on raising these low pockets of water. We have also already put out a light topdressing on all of the sod on holes 3, 15, 16, 17 from last year’s construction. Also, as construction continues this year, we may potentially use some of the old sand to topdress and level some of the new sod on #’s 1 and 10.

Sand spread in low areas on #3 fairway

Sand in 3 fairway after 3 days

Seizing the opportunity to recycle materials for a different purpose helps us make improvements and also keep costs down. For a property this size, with a small but efficient staff, saving money is key to getting more done with less.

Etiquette Reminder of the Week

Please enter and exit all bunkers on the low side. While this may result in slightly more distance to rake, it will keep the sod on the face of the bunker from tearing. It is also much safer! Thank you.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Selecting pin locations

Changing the cups on a golf course is one of the most basic tasks we do. Frequency may vary, but nearly every golf course in the world changes their cups. While the job is simple, there are many reasons behind why we change the cups and how we determine where to place the new cup.

A manager in the Grounds Department lays the pin on the green early in the morning so that our staff knows where to place the new cup. This is not a universal strategy but it works well for us. We do this for a several reasons. First, the burden of selecting fair/unfair pin locations is squarely on our shoulders and not our staff. If anyone has a complaint or is curious why a pin was put in certain area, we are the ones to speak with, not our staff. We accept all responsibility for a potentially controversial or unfair cup, not the staff member who was just trying to get his job done. Second, if we select where the pins go, we then inherently know where every pin on the golf course is at any given time. While this may not seem like that big of a deal, it is for us. It allows us to have a feel for how the course will play based on pin locations.  It also allows us to know how the course will react to Mother Nature. We know the areas that get really dry, really wet, easily diseased, etc. and we can plan accordingly. If we didn’t select the pins, we may come across a pin in a vulnerable location later in the day, but it may be too late to take any necessary steps to protect that weak turf. Lastly, selecting a new pin location is not as simple as finding a flat area. While our staff is excellent at their jobs, they are not trained turf managers. There are many potential consequences for the turf of which they may be unaware. Therefore, if we select the location, we prevent the untrained staff member from unknowingly placing a flag in a location that we do not want.

Managing wear on the putting green is a constant battle. Our mowing and rolling practices combined with hundreds of golfers a day can wear grass out quickly, especially on a green. Rotating the foot traffic on the putting green is widely accepted, and one of the main reason for changing cups. If the cup stayed in the same place too long, the grass in a 6 foot radius around that cup would wear out and die. A pin in a fresh location, can tolerate all the rounds of the new day, giving the previous location a chance to recover. A few of the day’s golfers may still walk in the area of the previous cup, but not to the extent as when the flag was there. In order to continue to rotate the cups to new locations, we have to have the maximum square footage putting surface at our disposal. We can’t place cups on or near slopes, so that area is subtracted from the total area of the green. We also use an 8 foot buffer away from the collar around the green. The USGA recommends (not a rule) that flags be kept 4 paces from the edge of the green. However, most people do not realize how few places this would leave to actually place a cup. 4 paces/yards is roughly 12 feet (3 feet per pace). Bretton Woods' greens average about 7,000 square feet. Taking 12 feet from the area of the green makes the available size of that green about 3,900 square feet. Once we account for slopes, we are talking about less than 3,000 square feet of available pin location area. That is incredibly small to manage cup rotation and golfer traffic. In fact, more than half of Bretton Woods' greens are smaller than 7,000 square feet and would become almost unplayable from traffic because of a lack of area to move the pins. This will lead to wear, increased ball marks, putting over old plugs, and turf thinning and death. However, if we take only 8 feet from the area of the green, by using the length of the flag instead, we increase the area for pin locations by more than 1,000 square feet. That is 1/4 more pin locations on average, and 1/3 on most of the greens. Using this flexibility in placing pins slightly closer to the collar is one our biggest tools for combating wear and traffic on the greens.

So, what else goes into our decision of selecting pin locations?

Staying away from slopes is important in our thought process. Every golfer has seen a pin that was placed a little too close to a slope. It makes for a bad hole no matter how well played from tee to green. We always try to avoid this mistake.

We also have to judge how wet the green is. Foot traffic on a wet green can be damaging to the turf and soil. If a cup is located on the farthest corner away from where golfers exit to the next tee, then every golfer is going to cause wear on the entire green, walking to the cup and back to the next tee. However, if we plan correctly, when the green is wet or will become wet, we may put the pins in “high and dry” locations near the exit point of the green. This accomplishes two things: One, the course remains playable because the cup is not underwater, and two, foot traffic is not extending entirely across a saturated green.  Now, the golfers only walk on ¼ of the green, minimizing the wear. We are also cognizant that many golfers ride in carts. When the course is very wet, we are likely cart path only. Therefore, placing the pin near to the cart path side of the green, which usually coincides with the exit side, reduces the extra walking the golfer must do to get from cart to cup. This also improves pace of play.

We have to be mindful of upcoming tournaments and outings as well. Most tournaments want a variety of 6 easy/ 6 medium/ 6 hard pin locations. We also don’t want the players having to putt over old plugs if possible. Depending on the tournament, we may avoid a certain area of a green for a week or more leading up to the tournament to keep it clear of old cups. Likewise, some greens just don’t have a hard pin location. Those greens have to be either easy or medium locations. But, if we finish all 6 easy locations and are only left with greens that don’t have any hard locations, then we are in a bind. Similarly, outings often have hole-in one contests. These contests have a minimum yardage from which the shot must be taken. Generally, it is not difficult to attain this yardage; however, keeping the shot playable is a consideration. For example, #9 at Bretton Woods is a terrific par 3 over water. It is a favorite hole-in-one contest hole choice for outings. If the contest requires a 165 yard shot and the pin is in the front, then the tee markers must be moved back to attain the yardage. Now this forces the golfer into an extra-long carry, including the entire pond, leading to lost balls and slow play. In contrast, if the pin is in the back, the tees come forward, and now the forced carry is simpler.

Non-agronomically speaking, we also choose pin locations to increase variability for the golfers. Most of our rounds are played by members who play regularly. We do not want someone who played Saturday, to play the exact same course setup on Sunday. We also like to put pins in interesting/hard/easy/intriguing- locations. Changing cups does have, and should have, a unique and specific effect on how a course is played. We want everyone to play a “new” course every round. Sometimes cups will be in hard places, sometimes easy, sometimes left, sometimes right, sometimes way in the back, sometimes way in the front. Each shot of each round should be new or interesting. For example, we do not want someone to walk off the 8^th green and grab their 7 iron because that is what they ALWAYS hit on #9. They should have to think about their shot, decide on the club, and adjust for that day. We want everyone to be challenged/captivated/surprised/excited every time they play Bretton Woods.

We do not take any of the decisions we make lightly. We put much thought into everything we do, even something as “simple” as changing the cup.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org