4.50am up and getting ready for work, checking for any problematic weather that would affect golf, course playability or scheduled work.
5.30am arrive at work/ schedule jobs for the day
6.00am quick briefing with the team to organise jobs, ensure vehicles are available and to work around golfers, for example on this particular day we were brushing greens and fairways, cutting greens, moving markers, cutting fairways, cutting teesides, cutting long rough and starting spraying for worm casts. Answerphone message updated and proshop/office email stating any restrictions for the day sent.
6.15am onto the course in the dark, working by torchlight and vehicle lights to complete tasks until light, the initial tasks on a daily basis are always to concentrate on greens and tees to ensure they are all playable, at the moment leaves are a real issue and most greens and tees are covered most days. To ensure we keep in front of golfers we have to start in the dark at this time of the year, as we have 27 holes we concentrate on 1-9 first then 10-18 then 19-27 as the welham course is the most popular for daily play. We would alter this pattern if competitions dictate. It takes one to brush, two to blow with back packs, two to cut greens, one to blow fairways with a tractor blower. The markers are moved until the light is sufficient to start cutting fairways. The fairway mowers and the surround/tees mowers are the only ones without lights currently.
7.15am sunrises and golfers are starting to tee off on the first tee, we are well underway with tasks, usually up around the 3/4/5 hole by this point.
10.00am break time
10.30am back onto the course on to secondary jobs, up to two staff cutting fairways to ensure we get them all cut in the day, teesides started, spraying started, long rough started, blowing fairways continues in front of cutting.
2.00pm start thinking of work schedule for the next day, again looking at weather forecast, receive updates from work done on the course, consider any delays/ breakdowns. Prioritise any initial/secondary tasks for the week. Speak with greens chairman regarding feedback/concerns on the course.
2.30pm finish
Still at this time of the year we are cutting fairly regularly, every day we cut we have to ensure the leaves are clear as they could damage the machines and the cut would be effected. This takes time, it may seem that we are not clearing areas of the course, but as mentioned previously there is a point where they are falling at such a rate. This IS that point. With 27 holes and as mentioned above the priority being greens and tees, other areas that are usually lower priority, we spend time on when the initial morning tasks are complete.
Initial tasks also include :
cutting surrounds/ approaches
moving holes
cutting tees
tidying around clubhouse/shop
servicing of machines
brushing and cutting greens
rolling greens
blowing leaves/debris
spraying greens
irrigating
topdressing
moving markers
emptying bins
clipping holes
checking/raking bunkers
We try to concentrate on any tasks that effect the playability of the course and that would effect us carry out the maintenance due to golf on the course. After 10.00am we are then able to work around competitions, busy periods that we know are weekly routine for our members to continue with secondary jobs. To ensure the above jobs are completed every week, some of them multiple times during the week we have to be organised and willing to start early and work in less than perfect conditions, when golfers come to Malton and Norton we want to ensure they get the best conditions weather they play at 7.30am or 3.00pm. When golfers come to play I hope this short blog highlights the daily routine we put in place to ensure the course is the best it can be with just 7 greenstaff.
No comments:
Post a Comment