As purse strings tighten at many golf course properties, so does the available funding for capital purchases. These budgetary constraints often leave superintendents with the task of weighing the benefits of purchasing new machinery with the practicality of repairing existing equipment.
Jim Baird, an Agronomist for the Northeast Region of the United States Golf Association Green Section, says a sound financial plan dictates that golf courses turn over their equipment inventory every three to five years.
However, Baird notes, properties have been known to buy a piece of equipment and “run it until it falls apart.”
Purchasing Considerations
Superintendents need not wait until a piece of equipment ceases to function before replacing it, however. Other factors also steer their purchas
Summing It Up
• Purchasing maintenance equipment depends on |
ing decisions.
Robert Rogers, Superintendent at Big Spring Country Club in Louisville, Ky., considers service, availability of parts and access to distributors. And, of course, “Price has a lot to do with it.”
Josh Mahar, Superintendent at Wild Horse Golf Course in Gothenburg, Neb., believes familiarity with certain types of equipment influences him.
“Everybody kind of gets comfortable with what they’re used to purchasing,” he finds.
Although he does not have a structured equipment replacement plan, Mahar buys new mowers every five to eight years. Because the growing season at the public, 18-hole course lasts only six or seven months, he notes, Wild Horse can run its mowers longer than courses in warmer climates.
A new purchase is not the only way to update a maintenance equipment fleet, however.
“A lot of clubs—and we’re one of them—have gone to leasing,” says Rogers.
Reasons to Buy
Rick Slattery, Golf Course Superintendent at Locust Hill Country Club, located about five miles southeast of Rochester, N.Y., bases his purchasing practices on a number of considerations. He looks at price, leasing agreements, resale value and the life expectancy and repair history of the existing machinery.
To help keep up with maintenance and repairs, Locust Hill Country Club hired a second mechanic two years ago. “I think preventive maintenance is the big thing. I think that’s the key,” says Superintendent Rick Slattery. |
However, he says, the final call rests on two key factors: technological advances and the quality of the cut.
“If I feel the technology has improved significantly beyond the type of mower we have, I will definitely make a case to buy up,” says Slattery, whose 18-hole private course plays host to the Wegmans LPGA event each June.
And if a mower no longer performs up to par to meet the membership’s demands, he pleads his case for a new piece of equipment.
When things get to that point, Slattery reports that the purchase approval process at his club has changed significantly in the past two or three years.
“We used to be given a lump sum figure [to use for all needs],” he recalls. “Now, it’s a little bit more involved.
“In today’s environment, financially, we really have to look at all of the money being spent [for each individual purchase] like it was coming out of my own wallet,” Slattery explains.
However, one aspect of his job has not changed in his 13 years as the Locust Hill superintendent—the importance of an honest, credible relationship with management and the membership.
“You cannot downplay good communication,” he emphasizes. He also believes that a little persistence goes a long way as well.
At Big Spring CC, Rogers reports, management is generally aware of the course and grounds department’s purchasing needs, because the property has a five-year equipment rotation plan. And he has found another way to keep everyone happy.
“We don’t surprise them,” he says.
Changing mowing patterns every day helps to prevent wear and tear on equipment, says Big Spring Country Club’s Superintendent, Robert Rogers. |
Maximizing Productivity
To prevent excessive wear and tear on equipment inventory, superintendents strive for maximum productivity out of their machinery.
“I think preventive maintenance is the big thing. I think that’s the key,” says Slattery.
To keep up with preventive maintenance and repairs, he hired a second mechanic two years ago. However, Slattery reports, his repair expenses have not increased, because the club’s two technicians stay on top of maintenance demands. He also says his payroll stayed the same, because he replaced an assistant superintendent’s post with the new mechanic position.
Mahar says his crew checks equipment daily “to catch a potential problem before it becomes a big problem.”
Preventive equipment care extends beyond the maintenance shop walls, as well.
“We change mowing patterns every day,” says Rogers “It avoids wear, and it also avoids grain.”
One equipment-saving measure that properties frequently overlook is an upgrade to the turf care facility itself, Baird reports.
Because members spend little, if any, time around the maintenance shop, he observes, “The last thing a golf course will do is renovate that.”
This neglect, in turn, can have a detrimental effect on the equipment.
“There’s not proper storage to keep equipment out of the elements,” Baird says. And a lack of pavement around the building can kick up dust and dirt, which lodges in the machinery, he adds.
On the Record
Because some equipment repairs are inevitable, Slattery keeps detailed maintenance records by creating files and service history sheets for all of his machinery. He documents how many hours a piece of equipment has been used and records any repairs that are made.
“It also helps when you’re trying to sell to the club that you need new equipment,” he says.
Mahar, who keeps hand-written service records, is an advocate of documentation as well.
“It’s very important,” he says. “I used to think I could remember everything. But with good records, you can start to see if there are trends on certain machines. It’s helpful to look back from time to time and see what’s going on.”
Rogers follows the recommendations in the operators’ manuals to keep his equipment in top condition, and his mechanic logs the hours of use into a computer.
Emergency Repairs
Documentation cannot prevent every pitfall, however, and superintendents learn to expect the unexpected. Yet an unanticipated equipment malfunction does not have to leave a superintendent with a bad lie.
“We need two of each kind of mower, and we have three. So we have a back-up mower for any kind of situation that happens,” notes Duran Freese, the Equipment Manager at Wild Horse.
At Big Springs CC, Rogers keeps replacement parts on hand for machinery that is prone to breakdowns. However, he adds, superintendents can look beyond their own inventory shelves if an emergency arises.
“If one of us gets in trouble, we’re a tight-knit group,” notes Rogers. “Guys in the business tend to help each other, and we’ll loan each other a piece of equipment.”
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