Winter Duties...a partial list

By Dave Roe, Interim Golf Operations Manager

Every winter the question I hear is “What do you do in the winter?”  If I had a quarter for every time I heard that question, I’d be a millionaire and then my answer would be, “I kick back in my recliner and watch the snow fall over the pond on my beautiful acreage.” Well, I guess that’s only dreaming, so then I start listing off all of the jobs our golf staff has in the winter.

1) Mechanic-All the equipment that we use during the season to give you the playing condition you want needs to be serviced and reels need to be sharpened.

2) Financial Officer-Budget needs to be put in place for the upcoming season.

3) Planner-We need to set up fertilizer and chemical plans for the next year, looking at different options and putting together the final programs.

4) Painter-Signs, benches, ball washers, rakes, and more, need to be painted so they’re ready to be put out for the next year.

5) Plumber/Electrician-Electrical and plumbing work needs to be done during the off-season to prepare for the next year. Yes, this too falls into our job description.

6) Arborist-Tree work on the course gets done now.

7) Snow Removal-It’s very important that the parking lots and sidewalks remain clear to keep anyone from getting hurt.

8) Hiring-This is the time to put together the crew for the next season.

9) Learning-Slipping in a little education doesn’t hurt as things are always changing in this field of work.

This is just a partial list of what we’re responsible for in the winter. The next time someone asks, “What does the golf staff do in the winter?”, the answer is “Stays very busy.”