As golf courses in the central United States wind down their growing season, some people may ask what full-time staff do in the winter. Simply put, it is a great time to execute tasks that the golf course maintenance staff doesn’t have time for during the growing season or tasks that are too disruptive to complete during play.
There are always golf course improvement projects to be done. It is easier to accomplish these projects when there are no golfers and the demand for daily maintenance practices is less because the turf is dormant. Projects like drainage improvements, bunker work, irrigation upgrades, adjusting grass lines and tree management are essential to ensure quality conditions will be presented for the next growing season. These tasks often take a lot of time to complete, and the maintenance staff is usually too busy for this type of work during the golf season.
Even when it’s too cold to work outside, there is a long list of things that can be done indoors. Servicing and detailing equipment is an immense effort each winter that helps protect the investment the course has made in equipment. Course accessories like tee markers, ball washers and benches can be made or refinished to be ready for next year. Superintendents and assistants spend time reviewing the last season and evaluating what changes can be made to improve course conditioning for the next year, including planning the plant protectant program to ensure all products are on hand when needed.
It can be easy for people to suggest greatly reducing full-time staff for the winter months, but having this staff helps make sure the course and maintenance operations are prepared to hit the ground running in the spring. If you have any questions about steps your course can take this fall and winter to get ready for next year, reach out to your regional USGA agronomist for more information.
Central Region Agronomists:
Zach Nicoludis, regional director – znicoludis@usga.org
Tom Gould, agronomist – tgould@usga.org