Using winter wisely

In many states, when the cold fronts hit, temperatures drop and chances of snow increase, the golfers go home, the course closes for the season and part-time summer staff is relieved of their duties. But the superintendent stays. 

How do superintendents care for the course in the cold months? How do they spend their time and prepare for the next season? We talked to turf leaders in cool-weather regions to learn how they maximize the winter months. 

At Glenwild Golf Club in Park City, Utah, the golf course opens for play from mid- to late May through October, weather dependent. Park City, found southeast of Salt Lake City, averages anywhere up to 32 inches of snowfall each month between November and March. Temperatures rarely reach above 44 degrees, and the average temperature sits at 35.9 degrees for the winter stretch. Glenwild is a private club with 325 members, cared for by director of agronomy Eric Feldhusen and team.

Feldhusen, an Oregon State University graduate, runs a small team of year-round employees during the winter months. A superintendent, three assistant superintendents, an irrigation technician, two equipment managers and a year-round employee maintain the grounds from October through May. 

The day-to-day routines for the small team look different through the colder months than they do in the summer heat. Although the golf course is not in use during this time, the maintenance team is responsible for grooming the club’s cross-country skiing trail. They also plow the clubhouse parking lots, complete shop projects and refurbish amenities. 

The crew arrives at 6 each morning, when they check parking lots for snow and ice before touring the course. The property is home to about 200 elk and fencing is used to keep them off greens and sensitive areas. Part of the daily routine includes checking the fences for any stuck elk. 

Following the fence checks, the team heads into the shop for project work or equipment maintenance. “I think it’s all about planning,” Feldhusen says. “We have a game plan for what we want to accomplish going into it.”

Clearing snow is a common task for maintenance teams in cold-weather regions during the winter. Steve Brown, superintendent of Sylvania Country Club in northern Ohio, says his team also prioritizes snow and ice removal for parking lots and sidewalks as needed. Sylvania Country Club features a Willie Park Jr. parkland-style course.

For Brown and his staff, the winter brings project season. Renovations and projects occur in the clubhouse, maintenance facility and other important areas. “It’s usually project season in the clubhouse because they’re closed for a short period up there. We often pitch in with different things up there as far as small renovations or cleaning and different things. It’s also a huge time to review everything from the previous year.” The staff also takes time to clean and fix equipment.

With an 18-hole course and mountain vista views, Clear Creek Tahoe’s director of greens and grounds Mike Cuniff and his staff transition from a golf course maintenance team to a snow removal team after the new year. Clear Creek Tahoe is in Carson City, east of Lake Tahoe and less than an hour from the California-Nevada border. Snow totals for December and January average less than 5 inches. When needed, the maintenance team handles snow removal for the club’s amenities including the clubhouse, residential homes, the Twin Pines Lake and Ski House, guest houses and a restaurant. They carry eight staff members in the winter and 36 from April through October. 

The cold months are also used as time to clean, repair and check each piece of equipment to prepare for the upcoming season. Just as the golf course needs to be kept up, so does the equipment.

Wintertime is a common period for professional development, education and planning. At Glenwild, the club partnered with Oregon State’s turf certificate program to provide assistants and employees with opportunities for growth. The program is paid for by the club and team members complete it at their own pace, though everything must be finished within a year. 

“It’s something that helps educate my assistants and just broadens them agronomically and expands their knowledge,” Feldhusen says. 

Most importantly, the winter months are time for superintendents and maintenance staff to relax. 

Around Lake Tahoe, Cuniff spends his free time skiing, with the occasional trip to warmer weather areas. He and his staff work a lighter schedule. “The wintertime is our time to plan for the next season. Catch our breath a little bit, work a bit of an abbreviated schedule, and just kind of get back to normal and take a little reprieve from the crazy golf season that we have.”

The same goes for the staff at Glenwild. “The wintertime allows the team to refresh, recover from the season,” Feldhusen says. “We get our time off. The guys only work four days a week. It allows them to spend more time with their family. Or there are outdoor activities, which is a lot of skiing or whatever they like to do. It’s a good time to kind of rest and recoup and recharge the batteries for us.” 

Feldhusen and his staff are fortunate to have 20 days of vacation time a year. “From Day 1, our employees get 20 days of vacation a year,” he says. “Not probably industry standard, but we’re very fortunate that we have a supportive membership.”

For Brown, an Ohio State graduate, vacation time is maximized. He tries to fit in a family vacation and the occasional long weekend. 

The winter months can be difficult. They are usually cold, lonely and not as fast paced as the warmer months. Cuniff recognizes the importance of slowing down.

“You need to learn to appreciate the downtime and realize that, sure, it’s slower and there’s no grass growing,” he says, “but it’s really the time of year where you have to take advantage of that slowness and reflect on your whole agronomic plan, your staffing plan, and really use that quiet time wisely to make sure that you’re set up well for the for the upcoming season.”

On those days when it’s just too cold outside, spend your time with your family. Relax, read a book or continue educating yourself in the golf course industry.