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What is the major issue facing golf course management?

After reading the article from GSCAA and interning at different golf courses, the  labor shortage seems to be the number one problem. Golf superintendents are struggling to hire reliable and diligent employees. According to GCSAA members in the association’s 2018 Labor Survey, about 74% of superintendents found difficulty in hiring and keeping maintenance staff employees (Hartstock). While statistics show that the United States business climate shows that the number of blue-collar workers has been decreasing and will continue to decline in many industries. With crew members being the largest group declining, even assistant golf superintendents have decreased to about 19% (Hartstock). As a Turfgrass Management major at Penn State, it is encouraging for me to see that there will be many assistant superintendent positions available in the next year after I graduate.

However, with labor shortage being the biggest concern, golf superintendents need to come up with a plan to try to keep their workers. During both of my internships, the superintendents expected us to work hard each day, but at times they would try to make the day fun for the workers. This helped build the relationships and develop a good rapport among the bosses and workers.  Making sure that employees are enjoying what they are doing may be a helpful way to keep workers as well as considering to pay them more than minimum wage.

Additionally, technology will also play a role in dealing with this issue.  The future looks bright for the new innovations that are occurring in the golf course maintenance industry. Robotic mowers are helpful advancements to the staffing shortage. Turfgrass managers need to collaborate to help educate each other and to come up with resourceful ways to handle this problem nationwide.

Source: Link

Hartsock, Andrew. “Labor Pains in Golf Course Management.” Golf Course Magazine, 

Golf Course Superintendents Association of America , 1 Mar. 2019, 

www.gcmonline.com/course/environment/news/golf-course-labor.

How will the Covid-19 epidemic impact the golf course management industry?

With the nation struggling during this worldwide epidemic, many businesses and industries are being significantly impacted. Why are some states able to keep their courses open or just have their maintenance crew working, while others are shut down completely? After taking a look at some articles, I wanted to weigh on this topic myself. 

I agree with golf superintendents lobbying for maintenance workers to continue to work if they follow the social distancing guidelines. These workers can come to work early to maintain the courses and to keep them in good shape. Maintenance workers and golf superintendents need to work to maintain their practices on a daily basis to not allow their course to get out of hand or too tall of grasses and weeds to get out of control. Right now the grounds crew need to be called in, even if it involves a limited number of crew members, to at least maintain the necessary daily routines.  These members can come in at different times of day to allow for social distancing and the work to get done. 

  According to Matt LaWell in his article, superintendents need to continue to work together in helping each other in their efforts to keep this golf industry business going.  Rhett Evans, GCSAA CEO, said he and his staff are working around the clock talking with state and local officials to get courses to “remain open as a safe escape during the pandemic — or at least allowing maintenance to continue under social distancing guidelines” (LaWell).  He realizes that different states are dealing with different situations. However, he says that it is important to contact field representatives. He stated that golf industry workers can find online guidance documents entitled “Message to Lawmakers to Keep Play Open” and “Message to Lawmakers to Keep Maintenance Going When Play has Been Closed,” and these documents will “provide a blueprint for getting a letter to your state’s governor or your local mayor”  (LaWell). Evans believes that golf course management needs to unify and work together to come up with a plan moving forward.

Also, many people in the golf industry have come up with innovative ways to address this situation and to allow for courses to remain open. Many courses have removed bunker rakes and ball washers where players could come into contact with others and possibly contract the coronavirus.  I also like the idea where some golf superintendents have plugged up the holes which allows the players to not have to touch the flag sticks. The game of golf is one way people can get out of the house while maintaining social distancing practices. 

Source: Link

LaWell, Matt. “GCSAA Provides Operations Blueprint for Covid-19.” Golf Course Industry, 

Golf Course Industry, 24 Mar. 2020, 

www.golfcourseindustry.com/article/gcsaa-covid-coronavirus-plans-action/.

What is the Future for Golf Courses?

Over the past couple of years, there has been a concern about how the participation in golf is declining from being such a desired sport. Many believe that some facilities will close, while only a few new courses will open. Golf course managers need to reevaluate the experience they are providing to ensure it is worth their golf client’s investment.

After talking with some colleagues, I understand these changes involve finding out what new golf clients want. According to Bob Lohman in his ASGCA article, he states, “The game of golf is changing, and has been for some time. Recent trends in golf course architecture have had a tremendous impact on the playability and maintainability of golf courses.” These newer golf clients are interested in having better practice facilities at a golf course. Since people today are hitting the ball farther with new technology, courses need to adapt to the new evolving game of golf (Lohman). Therefore, course layouts may need to be redesigned.  Also, some golfers want more than the simple warm-up driving range. There is also talk that courses may only have nine holes since there is a desire for the land being better used by their members with improved driving ranges, short game areas, or a short course. However, these changes would not work for courses that only have the traditional eighteen-hole course, but they could work with courses that have more than 18 holes.

Golf clubs are almost forced to renovate the golf courses and facilities, or they most likely will not make it. Golf course managers need to address the different design features, problem areas, and maintenance procedures, and these areas need to be considered while still maintaining the “character” of the course (Lohman). In order for the sport of golf to grow, golf course managers need to face these new challenges and adapt their courses to increase their golf course use and revenues. Today like everything else, that sport of golf is constantly changing. Some courses are going back to their original designs but also expanding to adapt to the new technologies in clubs. There are many aspects to consider. Superintendents’ ultimate goals need to be to offer their clients the best golfing experience to get the players to want to come back.

Source: Link

Lohman, Bob. “Deciding When a Golf Course Needs Renovation.” ASGCA, American 

Society of Golf Course Architects, 2020, asgca.org/design/existing-courses/

course-renovation-articles/deciding-when-a-golf-course-needs-renovation/.