5 things (not) to look out for in 2023

In a way that can be frustrating beyond belief, the fate of everyday superintendents is largely tied to forces outside their immediate control. As the golf season moves into high gear, here are external factors that will make or break work life for the trade.

Post-pandemic: Round counts for 2022 suggest steady foot traffic to the first tee and a general continuation of the unexpected boost the industry received from the pandemic after the shock of March and April 2020 wore off. Clubs that benefited from government-funded PPP assistance have now spent that money, which means facilities are back to relying on operational cash flow. For better or worse, the country seems to have reconciled itself to a steady flow of 300 to 500 deaths per day due to COVID, an accommodation that might change if the latest variant proves less manageabe. The lingering pandemic — which is what we are now stuck with — will persist and continue to influence every decision, from travel to worker absenteeism.

War: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s horrendous war of aggression on Ukraine will continue to cast a shadow over world affairs, disrupting fertilizer markets and leading to continued high prices for basic golf course maintenance. All one can say is that compared to the suffering of the Ukrainian people this is a small price to pay.

Costs: Backlogs in China, labor shortages in the United States, disruptions in the flow of oil and a shift in trucking operations due to the proliferation of local delivery services all contributed to an inflationary spiral that saw costs soar for maintenance and renovation work. Many clubs nonetheless went ahead with major renovations, in part due to swelling budgetary coffers, and increased demand that included waiting lists, return to competitive markets and clubs raising entry fees dramatically. We’ll soon see if the market is overstretched to the breaking point. Meanwhile, clubs indulging in $6 million renovations, once a rarity, are now commonplace, with some facilities facing renovations escalating to $10 million or even $15 million. The cost of renovation has its own dynamic drive — namely a shortage of qualified builders to meet demand, not enough skilled shapers to do the artwork, and the temptation of the latest and greatest technology in drainage, aeration and irrigation that some clubs think they need to install.

LIV Golf: The emergence of a rival professional golf tour was a topic of much anxiety and rumor, especially for the PGA Tour. What’s amazing is how little traction the breakaway circuit had on the public consciousness. Despite the billboard appeal of stars such as Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia, the various LIV events last year didn’t seem to draw attention away from or weaken the appeal of the PGA Tour — and certainly not the four majors.

Even with a new TV deal with The CW Network and a worldwide schedule expanded to 14 events in 2023, the irrelevance of LIV to the day-to-day business of golf is going to continue. And that’s part of a larger phenomenon, namely the massive disconnect between professional golf and how the game is enjoyed on an everyday basis by millions of fee-paying amateur golfers. Despite all the buzz, rumors and lawyering up re: the PGA Tour vs. LIV, the daily grind greenkeepers sweat out will continue.

Labor market: Ads posted through standard industry outlets are not getting the kind of response that would constitute a competitive applicant pool. Highly qualified rising assistants have a lot of options while clubs struggle to fill their employment rolls at every level of pay. Maybe we’re finally paying the price for two generations of golf cart reliance that virtually eliminated caddie programs as an on-ramp to the game.

It would help if hourly wages kept up with other construction and landscape trades. And for assistants and superintendents, the hours required have taken their toll. As one veteran greenkeeper told me, “Everyone over the age of 50 is trying to get out.”

The only solutions here — worthy of follow-up columns — would be for clubs to raise pay, superintendents to devise more flexible schedules for subordinates, and a more mindful, supportive culture at facilities that treats maintenance staff like complex, vulnerable, sensitive human beings rather than as silently suffering butlers.