SHORT TAKES
Superintendents answer the question “ What ’ s the hardest part of your job today ?”
“ Finding , hiring and keeping affordable people . It ’ s the toughest the market has ever been .”
– Vince Hankley , CC of Petersburg
“ Getting people to come to work is a chore . On any given day , three or four people are out .”
– Pete Stephens , Indian Creek Yacht and Country Club
“ Finding capable people who are willing to work in the elements is difficult . Work ethic seems to be disappearing .”
– Mark Madonna , Ashley Plantation
“ Many agronomy or horticulture graduates accept positions in sports turf management or at large , well-funded courses . This leads to shortages at smaller courses .”
– Dick Fisher , Lake Chesdin
“ Dealing with employees can be hard . Everyone has a different attitude and trying to get 8-10 people all on the same page is tough .”
– Ryan Dwyer , The Club at Viniterra
“ Entry-level team members view their job as temporary . When employees only stay for six months , the hiring and training process becomes costly and time-consuming .” – Jordan Spitler , Princess Anne Country Club
Supers Brent Graham , Ryan Dwyer , Dick Fisher and Steven Burnette .
He is far from the only one acknowledging the distinct advantages made possible by such innovations . In fact , many golf course superintendents maintain that grasses are better than they ’ ve ever been .
Pete Stephens , the superintendent at Indian Creek Yacht and Country Club , reports that the implementation of new nitrogen models , advanced chemistry and cutting-edge technology has greatly benefitted his work . There was a time when he would apply 3-4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of the greens . In the last five years , he has been able to reduce this to just one pound .
“ That has been huge , influencing everything from environmental impact and planet health to cost and improved playability ,” Stephens says .
Ryan Dwyer serves as the golf course superintendent for The Club at Viniterra in New Kent , a fast-growing area east of Richmond . He has also experienced significant developments in recent years that have transformed the way he performs his job duties .
The advantages of a moisture meter , for example , have been game changing . “ We no longer need to be there at 4 p . m . checking for wilt or dry greens with a soil probe — something that felt almost impossible with the amount of play the course would see during the afternoons ,” Dwyer remarks .
Looking back toward the start of his career , Fisher now marvels at how far the industry has come . “ The equipment we use to maintain quality turf has gone through a sea change ,” he posits . As a result , Fisher and his team can maintain greens with less labor , but it ’ s also true that enhancements can sometimes come at a cost .
THE PRICE OF PROGRESS
Vince Hankley , superintendent at the Country Club of Petersburg , believes the advances in equipment and products are making the game more expensive . These days , a new fairway mower can cost between $ 80,000 and $ 90,000 . And while efficiency will be positively impacted , it can be hard to ignore that steep price tag . “ One man with a ground-driven reel used to be able to mow all fairways by noon . Now we put three people out there with smaller units to get a better cut , but the cost goes up like crazy ,” he says .
“ The cost of everything associated with golf course maintenance has increased dramatically ,” Fisher agrees . He explains that rising costs , dues and green fees have gone north , which means the expectations of the golfers have also risen . “ This has become the pivotal problem for the survival of golf clubs : how to provide a golf setting that meets the expectations of their clientele at a price they are willing to pay .”
VGCSAA
24 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ULY / A UGUST 2024 vsga . org