Golf is a $70 billion industry and a major recreational sport in the United States. For decades, it has existed as a popular leisure activity in the United States and other countries worldwide.
Since March 2020, when the health event went global, the golfing industry has seen a significant increase in demand. This is because golfing is one sporting activity that promotes social distancing while allowing people to interact with each other simultaneously.
Golf will continue to be in demand. Golf owners and managers must ensure their golf courses are properly maintained. A well-maintained golf course is a key to guest satisfaction and more patronage.
This guide will reveal five tips to help keep your golf course in pristine condition while keeping your maintenance costs low. This helps you keep your overhead cost low, keep your players satisfied and smile each time you are headed to the bank. But first, we will discuss what golf maintenance entails to ensure we’re all on the same page.
What is Golf Course Maintenance?
Golf course maintenance refers to the actions and techniques used to manage and maintain a golf course so players can get all the resources and conveniences they need. Maintenance includes mowing, making carts available, repairs, upgrades, pest extermination, and aeration.
Golf course maintenance is very extensive and requires constant attention and upkeep. A full-time maintenance team can carry out golf course maintenance during the off-season. During golf season, you might need to bolster your maintenance crew with part-time workers to deal with the heavy traffic. This is why you need an onsite maintenance crew to be in charge of this aspect.
Some golf maintenance tasks have to be carried out daily. Examples include landscaping, cleaning the grounds, and manicuring to get the course ready for the guest. All of these can eat into your budget if you are not careful.
We are showing you five ways to keep your maintenance costs low while keeping your golf course properly maintained.
How to Reduce Golf Course Maintenance Costs
Every experienced golf manager knows that skimping on proper maintenance is a bad way to keep costs low. That said, there are ways you can reduce maintenance costs without sacrificing the quality of your golf course. Here are five simple ways to provide a golfing experience without spending excess on maintenance.
Hire experienced maintenance personnel
This seems counterintuitive as experienced maintenance personnel will require you to pay their full value. However, this is a good trade.
You benefit from their expertise and experience in exchange for paying full service. This will prevent you from suffering from unnecessary costs stemming from inexperience.
Remember that professionals at ECO Tree Experts will come with the right golf course maintenance equipment and will understand golf course management. They will use their specialized equipment, mowing equipment, cultivation equipment, and maintenance staff to maintain the putting greens properly.
We advise that you hire an experienced maintenance superintendent and an assistant to ensure your golf course stays in pristine condition.
Make regular preventative pest/disease control programs a priority.
Here is another counterintuitive way of keeping your maintenance costs low. You could skimp on dealing with pests and weeds and save money in the short run.
Weed can be tough to eradicate once they have settled in. However, you are setting yourself up for bigger, more expensive problems in the future. Why?
Because all it takes for weed infestation is the pressure of one small patch of weed on your golf course, that small patch of weed might not seem like a problem now. But in a month, you will be dealing with large patches of weed spread across your golf course.
The same applies to pests. You want to put a low-cost but effective pest control program in place. This could be as simple as setting traps and using other techniques to ensure pests don’t linger on your course.
Once these pests make their home on your course, you will have to spend a lot to eradicate them and return your course to pristine condition.
Consider cost-effective alternatives when managing grass and trees.
There are many ways to save costs when managing grass on your course. For instance, many courses remove grass clippings after mowing. This is good, but it can be very expensive.
Instead of paying to remove them, consider spreading these clippings on your fairway. The clipping would biodegrade and turn into fertilizer. This way, you save costs by not paying to remove the clipping and by not having to pay for fertilizer.
A freshly rolled course can help your players increase their green speed and smooth the surfaces. Another option is to roll your course more frequently instead of mowing your grass constantly. This is something your players are sure to appreciate.
Lastly, if you find yourself having to deal with pruning trees and removing fallen leaves all the time, it might be better to get the trees removed. This will greatly reduce your maintenance cost, reduce the likelihood of pest infestation and help you better manage your course. So keep your trees to a minimum and remove any that become a burden to maintain.
Use minimum course accessories.
Course accessories such as tea caddies and ball washers are good, but they can add to your expenses. The cost of purchasing and maintaining these accessories can increase your expenses without a commensurate increase in income.
Most of your customers won’t miss these accessories if you provide them with a quality playing experience. You should go through your offerings and remove any accessory that isn’t in high demand. This way, you focus your maintenance program on your golf course and other important aspects.
Create a well thought out maintenance program
Planning is very important when it comes to golf course maintenance. A maintenance program will ensure that maintenance tasks are carried out promptly. Another benefit is that you will be able to inspect and maintain your high-valued equipment.
These include golf carts, aerators, rollers, mowers, and utility vehicles. All of these can cost a lot to replace. A maintenance plan ensures that these elements do not break down unnecessarily.
Golf maintenance can cost a lot but doesn’t have to leave a big hole in your pocket. With these tips, you can keep your golf course maintenance costs low while providing a high-quality paying experience to your guests.
ECO Tree Experts Can Keep Your Putting Greens Fresh
If you are looking for assistance with maintenance jobs, reach out to our team at ECO Tree Experts today. Our maintenance experts are pleased to help you with your various needs.