Labor, Viruses and Flies, Oh my!

Welcome to the start of a new decade. It seems like yesterday that I was arguing with my mom about how much water and batteries she needed to have in the basement for Y2K. I have to admit, I breathed a sigh of relief when the sky didn’t fall at midnight back then. It’s hard to believe that twenty years have already gone by in the new millennium. This new decade has no shortage of concerns to keep us occupied.

The 2019 growing season gave the golf industry a boost in revenue and finally provided control of the moisture later in the season. Labor shortages seemed to be the overwhelming issue. Staff have been difficult to find, and they are often able to name their price. It’s frustrating when you don’t always get what you pay for, but it’s also nice to see that the working class has more disposable income. This is forcing many of us to reevaluate how much time is invested in off-the-field areas vs. playing surfaces. Lately, I find myself looking at how I manage the facility very differently. The first several years of the millennium seemed like we could do no wrong in turf. We were trying to Tiger-proof our courses. We wanted athletic fields that were absolutely stunning. Now it’s all about junior programs with forward tees and synthetic turf. I must admit, I love seeing kids on the golf course, and synthetic turf just makes too much sense in many situations.

I can no longer afford to maintain features that we installed 20 years ago and changes that we believed to be improvements at that time. I honestly think that many of the practices were more important to me than they were to our clients. The removal of many of these features over the last two years yielded hardly any comments, but a significant savings and reallocation of labor. Now I know how my wife felt a week ago after having an inch cut from her hair…and I failed to notice. Things that I notice around the property other people never will. Thoughtful conversations with players, residents, and decision makers about what is important to them has altered my perspective. Now I realize it will appear to them that I am doing more with less. It feels even better when it’s true and not just smoke and mirrors. Think of it this way, if the stars need to align in order for your program to be successful, that’s not exactly the definition of a sustainable practice. More importantly, we need to be the authors of those practices. If we start these conversations about sustainability and BMP’s, it will alter people’s perspective of us. They may realize that we are right regarding certain things they can do without. But they can’t do it without us.

The labor issue isn’t changing anytime soon. It’s a good problem to have, ultimately. When unemployment was higher, I didn’t always end up with the pick of the litter, either. I remember asking police to let someone finish out the day before they hauled him away. At least the Spotted Lantern Fly doesn’t feed on turf yet. Hopefully the closest any of us gets to the coronavirus is a headache and some empty bottles. Enjoy your spring!

Pete Ramsey

PTC President

Pete Ramsey, PTC President