Settini

StandardsCreating effective written

maintenance standards iseasier than you think.

BY TODD LOWE

1 et's face it; golf courses are businesses thatservice thousands of customers each year.

mmm Golf course superintendents are given abudget, equipment, and staff and are asked tomeet or exceed customer expectations. Othersuccessful businesses have standard operatingprocedures and long-range plans to improve dailyoperations and customer satisfaction. Likewise,golf courses should also have a set of "writtenmaintenance standards that outline the goals andprocedures for day-to-day operations.

Golf course maintenance standards are guide-lines that detail the manner in which the golfcourse is maintained on a daily basis. They are notinstruction manuals for each cultural practice or alist of job descriptions for employees, althoughthese can be included. They are, however, formaldocuments that outline golf course maintenancegoals and the necessary practices for meetingthese goals.

There are maintenance standards in place onall golf courses, but most of them are intangibleguidelines, developed and implemented by thegolf course superintendent. From our experience,only a small percentage of golf courses developwritten maintenance standards with golfer input.Why do so many golf courses operate withoutany tangible guidelines? Perhaps most of us areapprehensive to step into the unfamiliar, andunless you have been involved with creatingmaintenance standards, it is difficult to knowwhere to begin.

Creating formal maintenance standards is not adifficult task, but it can seem intimidating at first.

Aerial photographs can be taken from mobile platforms,like cherry pickers.This picture helps justify the need for

irrigation upgrades.

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Several articles have been published previouslyand are excellent resources to utilize in formulat-ing maintenance standards.3'4'3 This article com-bines important aspects of the previous articlesand provides a step-by-step outline of what yourmaintenance standards should include, andaddresses how they should be established andadministered. Lastly, this article offers suggestionson how to establish high standards with minimalexpense.

WHY STANDARDIZE?One of the most important reasons for creating aformal set of maintenance standards is to matchgolfer expectation levels with maintenanceprocedures. An issue that the golf course super-

Input from golfers of

various skill levels is

necessary when

establishing putting

green standards of

smoothness, speed,and consistency.

the membership. Whether the issues include alter-ing putting speeds, creating tighter/fluffier fair-way lies, or planting a forest on the golf course,there should be some continuity in directivesfrom year to year. Maintenance standards offer asafeguard against such occurrences.

Many clubs we visit have limited budgets, andit is important to allocate funds appropriately toeach area of the golf course. Primary playingareas should be properly maintained,3 but theremainder of the golf course requires a certainlevel of maintenance, too. A common topic dis-cussed during many Turf Advisory Service visits istaking the golf course to the next level, and main-tenance standards can help determine where thislevel is and what it -will take to get there. During

intendent might find important and devote alarge amount of time and money towards maynot be as important to the golfers. Obviously,there is an inherent hierarchy of golf coursepriorities that begins with putting greens, tees,fairways, and roughs that should not be com-promised, but there are other areas of the golfcourse that require routine maintenance as well.

Another purpose for creating maintenancestandards is to provide continuity in managementgoals from year to year. We often find golf clubswith new green committees that have preferencesor agendas that do not necessarily mirror those of

economically tight periods, these documents arehelpful for deciding where budget cuts can bemade, while maintaining acceptable quality.6

Time/motion studies are an essential componentof maintenance standards and can be calculated totrack staffing needs and expenses for each part ofthe course. With these studies, it is easy to seewhere appropriate cuts can be made — if theneed arises.

WHO SETS THE STANDARDS?Representatives of the membership and the golfcourse superintendent should be responsible for

G R E E N S E C T I O N R E C O R D

Long-range

improvement plans

are often necessary

to achieve appropriate

golf course maintenance

standards.

establishing the maintenance standards. Ideally, theGreen Committee represents a broad range of themembership.1'8 If this is the case, maintenancestandards can be created through a series of GreenCommittee meetings. It also may be helpful toput together a Standards Committee to survey themembership for the necessary information toformulate priorities and expectation levels.

The process begins by creating a rudimentaryset of guidelines for each area of the golf course,listing current cultural practices.The objectivesare then discussed with the Green Committee, orpossibly a Standards Committee, and the docu-ment is edited based on results from those dis-cussions. It may require several meetings to fullydescribe each cultural practice, its frequency, andwhy it is necessary.

Other individuals who might be called uponfor help include the golf professional, generalmanager, USGA agronomist, or other courseofficials. Agronomists assist golf courses aboutvarious expectation levels and often recommendnecessary cultural practices to meet those expec-tations. Agronomists are also especially helpfulwith planning long-range improvement projects.Golf professionals are valuable as they aregenerally aware of the skill level of the averagegolfer. They also have the most direct contactwith golfers and are aware of common issues andconcerns.

WHAT TO INCLUDEMaintenance standards should include a descrip-tion of the desired level of quality and condition-ing for each area of the golf course and thecultural practices necessary to sustain the standard.There are no set guidelines for writing standards,but they generally include a cover page, table ofcontents, introduction/mission statement, andsections on greens, tees, fairways, roughs, bunkers,trees/landscaping, aquatic features, long-rangeplans, and references.

Time/motion studies are essential buildingblocks for establishing maintenance standards.Time studies calculate the time necessary tocomplete each daily task. They may require a fewdays to complete, as the data must be gatheredand analyzed, but the information is crucial whendiscussing cultural programs.4 Time studies can beincluded individually with each section or can belisted in a separate section. Data from time studiesalso can be grouped into sections that show per-cent resource allocation for each area of the golfcourse. You may be surprised that putting greens,areas of the golf course where the majority ofthe game of golf is played, actually receive asmall percentage of the budget as compared tosecondary playing surfaces, out-of-play areas, orhazards.

In developing written maintenance standards,the need for long-range planning will become

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apparent. For example, if the standard is to main-tain level teeing grounds with uniform and denseturf, then tee leveling/enlargement may be neces-sary. Likewise, if the standard is to maintainfirm/dry approaches with minimal plugged lies,but an outdated irrigation system with poorwater distribution is in place, then it may benecessary to plan for irrigation systemupgrades.

Introduction: Introductory statements mightinclude types of grasses utilized, a brief descrip-tion of the architecture, and the overall feel forhow the golf course is to be maintained. Quiteoften a mission statement is included as well.Additional information should include the indi-viduals and groups responsible for developing thestandards and how they are to be utilized oramended. Also, mention should be made that thestandards are not intended to be a rigid set ofguidelines but are flexible and should be adjusteddepending on weather or turf healthconsiderations.

Greens: Objectives should include qualitystandards such as turf density, consistency, true-ness, smoothness, firmness, and putting speed. Arange of acceptable objectives for daily play andtournament play should be included. Theseobjectives should be determined for the averagegolfer and not for the small percentage of low-handicappers. Necessary cultural practices formaintaining these objectives should include(but are not limited to) mowing heights andfrequencies, core aeration, verticutting, grooming,sand topdressing, and rolling. Timing and fre-quency of each practice should be included aswell. Procedures for determining hole locationsshould also be included. Next, standards for collarsand approaches should be determined, and neces-sary cultural practices listed. Lastly, type of con-struction should also be mentioned.

Tees: Teeing grounds should be level, ofappropriate size for the amount of play, withdense and uniform turf. In addition to listingmowing heights, mowing frequencies, divotrepair, and other necessary cultural practices, teealignment and procedures for tee marker rotationshould be discussed. Since tees become unlevelover time, it is also advisable to mention occa-sional leveling and enlargement.

Fairways and Roughs: Some objectives tomention for fairways and roughs include fairwayball lie, turf density, and surface firmness anduniformity. Maintenance practices should include

mowing height/frequency soil cultivation prac-tices, sand topdressing, and thatch management.Herbicide and fertilizer programs may also beincluded. Drainage improvements are often on-going projects at most golf courses to maintaingood turf consistency and surface firmness. Like-wise, there should be some mention of irrigationdesign, maintenance, repair, and possible upgradesto maintain proper standards.

Bunkers: A general consensus on bunkerfirmness is required so that a certain standard canbe maintained. Listing a few objectives likerelative firmness and cleanliness of debris iscommon. Maintenance practices may includefrequency of raking, mechanical vs. hand-raking,edging, and adding of new sand. Also, bunkersshould be defined by a distinct edge, according tothe Rules of Golf. It is important that bunkersdrain appropriately so that they do not remainsaturated or overly firm, and drainage installationmay be necessary if it does not already exist.Eventually complete refurbishment may benecessary, depending on type of construction,annual rainfall, and golfer expectations.

Aquatics: Lakes, streams, and ponds are com-mon golf course features that require ongoingmaintenance. Water quality (algae and weeds)should be discussed, and practices like trimming,marking for the Rules of Golf, lake bank stabili-zation, water aeration, and buffer strip mainte-nance should be described.

Trees and Landscaping: Trees are integralcomponents of golf courses that require continualmaintenance. Practices like annual limb and rootpruning and debris maintenance should be dis-cussed. More importantly, there should be apolicy for tree installation and removal. Trees havea negative impact on turf quality, and the golf coursesuperintendent should identify types of trees planted,tree location, and tree removal. This is particularlyimportant for addressing the previously men-tioned standards for putting greens and tees, asimproperly placed trees are particularly detri-mental to these areas. Likewise, landscaping hasbecome a prominent feature on many golfcourses and, although they are aestheticallyappealing, landscape beds require continualedging, weeding, trimming, mulching, and pestmanagement. The desired level of quality forlandscape beds and cultural programs should belisted.

References: There are numerous articles thatcan be attached to your maintenance standards.

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The goal is to educate golfers on the need forroutine cultural practices and to justify rebuildingor renovating certain areas of the golf course.Many reprints can be found on the USGA web-site at http://www.usga.org/turf/articles/-articles and resources.html or contact your localagronomist for additional resources.

Other: Each facility is unique and shoulddecide the important topics to list in the mainte-nance standards. Such topics may include cartpaths, the practice facility, pest management, irri-gation, equipment maintenance and replacement,maintenance facility, tournament planning, "in-house" project procedures, budgeting processes,and The Audubon Cooperative SanctuaryProgram.

With each of the playing surfaces, the standardsshould address objectives and procedures for"in-season" play as well as "off-season" conditions. Forexample, minimal quality standards or turf main-tenance procedures are required for golf courses

and concise, with a limit on unnecessary"verbiage."

Pictures significantly improve the quality andpresentation of the maintenance standard docu-ment. A picture is worth a thousand words, andthey can be added to inform members aboutunfamiliar cultural practices like verticutting,grooming, aerifying, topdressing, or root-pruning.Pictures also document the need for long-rangeimprovement projects. For example, picturesof standing water in bunkers can help justify abunker drainage project, or excessively wornturf on a practice tee suggests the need for teeenlargement. Aerial photographs add perspectiveand are especially helpful for explaining front,middle, and back tee rotation or putting greenhole locations. Inserting digital pictures intodocuments is simple and can be done withminimal computer expertise.

Tables are also effective communication tools.In particular, time/motion studies are best pre-

Pictures are utilized to

better explain unfamiliar

cultural practices likecore aeration.

in northern regions during winter months, butthe opposite occurs for courses in warmerregions.

STANDARDIZEWITH STYLEMaintenance standards can range from plain tohighly professional, depending on the amountof time and effort invested. There is certainlyroom for individual creativity and style in usingpictures, tables, and figures. With whatever styleutilized, maintenance standards should be clear

sented in a table format. Most word-processingsoftware, including Microsoft Word, are capableof formulating tables and graphs for documents.It may be necessary to hire a part-time secretaryfor a week or two or enlist the assistance of anindividual with computer knowledge to performthese tasks.

Documents of highest quality are those that areprofessionally published.2 Since developing main-tenance standards requires time and effort, havingthem professionally published is worth the invest-ment. In addition to rewarding the time involved,

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Time studies

of golf course

maintenancepractices are

important

components toinclude with

maintenance

standards.

Required Weekly Maintenance

Practice_,C-hange cups

Practice green cups

Clean ballwashersSandpro

Bunker touch-up

Bunker complete

Mow greens

Mow greens & aprons84" mower

Mow fairways5-gang rough

Rough trim

Spray greensSpot water

Sweeping

Irrigation maintenance

Tee divots

Fairway divots

Fairway spot weed

Green syringe

Dew removalMove ropes

M

1

36

167777

II42

62

3

April- Nov.-DayofWeek Oct. March

T W T F S S Total Total

I I 8 32 2 4 43 3 3 4 3 19 196 6 6 6 6 3 6 3 6

16 16 16

8 16 8 16 8 72 727 7 7 21 147 7 7 21 147 7 7 7 7 3 5 217 7 7 7 7 3 5 21

7 7 7 21 146 6 2

II II II II 554 4 4 4 2 0 2 02 2 2 2 10 3

20 20 2016 16 32 32

6 62 2 2 2 2 2 14

8 8 16 163 3 3 3 2 2 19 19

509 308

Explanation

2 employees/3 hours4 employees/4 hours4 employees

5 employees/4 hours4 employees/8 hours

Daily work prep and break times — 10 minutes morning start-up1 5 minutes morning break5 minutes pre-lunch clean/preparation5 minutes post-lunch preparation

1 5 minutes afternoon break10 minutes afternoon preparation60 minutes total x 5 days x 1 5 employees = 75 hours/week

Token from "Required Maintenance Versus Available Labor" — Green Sect/on Record 26(I):I2-I4.

professionally finished standards are enjoyable toread. When completed, it is nice to have a manualthat looks good and is easy to read.

SUMMARYLike businesses, successful golf courses do nothappen by accident. Each year USGA agrono-mists visit many golf courses of various sizes,shapes, and budgets. Successful clubs, regardless ofbudget, have a clear understanding of what theywant to be and are characterized by effectiveworking relationships between golf coursemanagement and golfers. Maintenance standardsare employed on all golf courses, whether they arewritten or not. However, establishing a formal setof maintenance standards helps maintain properexpectation levels, allocates resources appropriately,and provides continuity in managementobjectives from year to year.

REFERENCES1. A Guide for Green Committee Members — USGA

Publication #PG1715.

2. Brame, B. 2004. The Economy and Golf CourseMaintenance. Green Section Record 42 (2): 1-5.

3. Davies, D. 2004. Budget Reductions: Getting Help for theHard Decisions. Golf Course Management 72(11):66-70.

4. Gilhuly, L. 2002. Pacific Standard Time. Green SectionRecord 40(3):34.

5. Gross, P. 1997. When In Doubt, Spec It Out. Green SectionRecord 35(2): 1-4.

6. Hartwiger, C. 2003. Raising the Bar: How High Can YouGo? Green Section Record 41(1): 13-16.

7. Moore, M. 1988. Required Maintenance Versus AvailableLabor. Green Section Record 26(1): 12-14.

8. Oatis, D. 2003.The Ten Most Common GreenCommittee Mistakes. Green Section Record 41 (5): 1-6.

TODD LOWE is based in Rotonda West, Florida. He

joined the staff in 2000 and conducts Turf Advisory

Service visits in Florida.

G R E E N S E C T I O N R E C O R D