Grounds Maintenance Update - April 25

It's been over a month since we've been in this world of social distancing. COVID-19 has truly altered our day-to-day lives and it's difficult to know what normal is at this point. With restaurants, churches, theaters and retail stores closed, so much of our recreation is no longer available. The need to distance ourselves from others, not only for our health but for the health of the community, has truly limited our interactions with family, friends and the people around us. Thank God for golf!

We have truly been fortunate to remain open for play. This is not necessarily the case across the country or even all of Florida. However, in more and more locations, golf is being identified as a safe activity as long as all the recommended precautions are followed. Following all of the guidelines is significant to golf remaining open, especially the guidelines of staying six feet apart and not touching the flagsticks. Efforts to remove all of the identifiable objects on the golf course that are routinely touched by golfers' hands are also significant in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 has affected how the Grounds Maintenance Department operates as well. At the onset we made many procedures mandatory. First, is a strict disinfecting procedure for all grounds vehicles, equipment and tools. Second, is very thorough checklist for cleaning our maintenance facility that is performed everyday. Third, we divided our employees into two crews. At most, we have no more than half of our grounds employees at work on the same day. Fourth, we encourage our employees to take their lunch breaks on different schedules as opposed to all eating at the same time. Finally, there is a consistent line of communication from me to the employees to keep them educated, up to date with all the latest information and to provide reminders for how to keep themselves and their families safe and healthy.   

As you can imagine, dividing the employees into two teams, as well as all the additional disinfecting requirements, has reduced the available time for work to be performed on the golf course and grounds. I am very proud of my team at this moment as we have seen little to no drop-off in quality of conditions. It's important to understand that if something isn't quite up to normal expectations that it most likely will be taken care of soon as we continue to diligently execute our plan. As the weather warms up, the days get longer and the rains begin to fall, the grass and landscaping will grow even faster. Please be patient with my team as we keep the pedal down to keep getting things done. I also encourage you to acknowledge the Grounds Team members and thank them for their continued efforts. Just remember to do that from a safe distance!

Finally, this marks the time of year where our cultural maintenance practices on the golf course significantly increase. It's these practices performed throughout the summer months that provide us with excellent conditions all year long. Today we began to solid-tine aerify our greens. This is simply the action of poking small holes into the greens to allow for better movement of water and nutrients through the soil profile. This action will be performed frequently from now until fall. While visually noticeable, the holes that result from this action have minimal impact on putting, especially a day or two after the work is completed. I will continue to update you on other maintenance practices as they take place.

While visually noticeable, the holes resulting from solid-tine aerification should have little impact on play.