small stuff

DECORATED BEVERAGE CART

The course’s money is all in one pot. If the beverage cart makes $1,000/day profit, we could buy a new, state-of-the-art mower every 30 days. So as an equipment manager, I have a stake in the beverage cart’s success. Some good-to-know things: A clean cart sells more and the tips are bigger (soap, water, wax, and Armor All or engine oil will make it shine). A driver without tattoos sells more and the tips are bigger (concealer works). A driver with a smile sells more and the tips are bigger (just think of how happy your customers are to hand you money). A driver without piercings sells more and the tips are bigger (you could take them out when on the job). A driver with nice clothes sells more and the tips are bigger (golf attire will work). The beverage cart that is out there from when golf starts until when golf ends sells the most every day (a BevCart in the barn earns nothing). The driver that provides the best service makes the most in tips (know your customers and what they want that time of day, in that weather). A driver’s tips increase each year they do the job (as you learn more about your customers and discover what works the best). There are dozens of themes each month the beverage cart can be decorated for (the party decorations store can show you your options).

GRASS JUICE LUBRICATED BEARING

It was meant to be an emergency fix, temporary until the ordered parts arrived, one day, two at the most, but it is working so well that I am letting it run to see what happens. Each day when I check the cut and height, I check how the bearings in this roller feel. They seem to be fine. What is so strange is that these are very ordinary bearings, not stainless steel, ceramic or other exotic bearing materials suggested for wet conditions. There is some precedent for this. Years ago, I was asked to assist with the repair of a Reclaimer (a piece of coal mining machinery) built back in 1927. The amazing thing is that it is lubricated with coal dust, the same stuff that more modern pieces of equipment struggled to keep out of their bearings. Have I discovered something useful?

THE SPARE KEY

Having a cart key handy to move the ball picker so that the rough mower can mow under it is essential.

EMERGENCY, EMERGENCY, GRASS EMERGENCY

Unit #26 blew a hydraulic hose, painted the grass on 18 rough with 8.5 gallons of hydraulic fluid and finished off by showering the driver with oil. He went home to wash up after helping me remove the failed hose. A new hose installed and the machine would be running again. Luckily, there was a sale on hydraulic fluid and I bought four, five-gallon buckets of it along with the replacement hose. I needed two buckets now and two in reserve. The hydraulic oil fill of the machine’s hydraulic tank is small and at an awkward angle so I used a spare electric sprayer pump, the pigtail off one of the battery tenders, some Tygon tubing, and a spare tractor battery. This rig transferred the hydraulic oil without getting any more on the ground. Once refilled with hydraulic oil, I was able to drive the mower to the wash station and hose it off. From there, it went into the shop to tighten a few things, check it more closely and then back out to test mow with it. It works fine again.