TRAVELS WITH TERRY

Globetrotting consulting agronomist Terry Buchen visits many golf courses annually with his digital camera in hand. He shares helpful ideas relating to maintenance equipment from the golf course superintendents he visits — as well as a few ideas of his own — with timely photos and captions that explore the changing world of golf course management.

White Board Conference Room Walls

Curtis Tyrrell, CGCS, MG, director of agronomy at the Desert Highlands Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, has his management team meetings (superintendent, assistant, irrigation technician and equipment manager) in his conference room 15 minutes before the crew starts to discuss the game plan for the day. This room is also used as a think tank for various projects, plans and reviews. It is helpful to write their thoughts on the walls when developing ideas, checking math or simply conveying messages and reminders, as well as for small group training sessions. Green committee meetings are also held there once or twice per year. Rustoleum White Board Paint, which is writeable and erasable, was applied to all four walls in the 10-foot by 15-foot room (9-foot ceilings) that was added during a 2020 maintenance building renovation. A PowerPoint electronic job board was also added. Paint rollers/foam brushes applied two coats, totaling eight labor hours and it took about three days to cure, with 1.5 boxes of paint required at $300 per box. In Tyrrell’s previous experience, it was never reapplied over an eight-year period. Dry erase cleaner is used as required.

Large Pump Fuel Tank

This Multiquip 4-inch Trash Pump is used to pump supplemental irrigation water from a holding pond transfer line to the irrigation storage lake during a 12-hour period each night during July and August. A recycled 8-gallon Jacobsen Greens King fuel tank was mounted using a strap to hold it in place. The pump’s small 8-quart fuel tank was disconnected and the fuel line was hooked up to the larger tank. It is refueled one additional time each night and approximately 125,000 gallons per night is pumped. It took about one hour to install at no cost for parts and materials. Stephen Killingsworth, superintendent at the Tempest Golf Club in Gladewater, Texas, and his staff like to tinker with maintenance equipment.

Terry Buchen, CGCS, MG, is president of Golf Agronomy International. He’s a 51-year, life member of the GCSAA. He can be reached at 757-561-7777 or terrybuchen@earthlink.net.

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