Systematic maintenance

A PROVEN MAINTENANCE SYSTEM GIVES PGA TOURNAMENT PLAYERS CLUBS MAXIMUM EFFICENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY

Every minute spent in planning saves four minutes in execution. If that maxim is true, the planning and forethought that Cal Roth, Director of Maintenance for the PGA Tour and its Tournament Players Club (TPC) courses has put into setting up golf course maintenance facilities saves many man-hours every day.

With nearly 25 years to hone and fine-tune his maintenance facility format, Roth has put together a formula for a smooth, efficient operation. His time-tested plans are a required element on every TPC course.

"It's been an evolutionary process," he says, "and we've found that our advanced planning makes the facilities more efficient right from the beginning, and that translates into saving both time and money."

Three building blocks

Central to the maintenance plan are three buildings to separate the various maintenance disciplines and accommodate the work.

"We like separate buildings for a couple of reasons," Roth points out. "First, it allows us to fit the facility into the space available easier than if you use one big building. It used to be very common to place the maintenance facility on whatever piece of land was available after the course, clubhouse and other facilities were positioned, so making it work efficiendy was a challenge. With our system we can control the fit on a square piece of ground or on a triangular patch."

"We try to put new buildings on an acre of land, but we've done it with as little as onehalf acre," adds Michael Johnson, vice president of PGA Tour Construction Services, and the man who translates Roth's ideas into finished structures. "Costs vary from region to region but land is always extremely valuable. Building codes and local regulations vary a lot, too. We've found that it can actually be less expensive to build two or three buildings on a site than trying to build just one large one that can meet all the codes and regulations. It's often easier to manage the workflow and traffic - people and machines - with more than one building, too."

Roth says any course considering expanding, remodeling or creating a new maintenance center can adopt PGA Tour's maintenance philosophy. The ultimate goal is getting people and machines in the right places at the right time with no wasted effort. Safety and security are key considerations as well.

The maintenance building

The main maintenance building is the center of activity and the most expensive to build and finish. It is equipped with heat and airconditioning, plumbing, telephones, computers and all the finishing touches of today's modern office. It houses the office of the superintendent, assistant superintendent, managers and support staff, as well as the employee areas where they take their breaks and get their assignments.

"One of the first things I noticed was the noise - or rather the lack of it. This was a business setting, a professional's office. It didn't have the 'garage' feel that some superintendents' offices have," says Chris Hague, CGCS, superintendent at the TPC at Deere Run, near Moline, Ill. "Beyond the main offices, the building is 'zoned' into individual work areas for the spray technicians, the maintenance manager, irrigation technicians and others."

Hague is no stranger to well-organized, top-flight facilities with tournament venues such as the Baltimore Country Club, Crooked Stick Golf Club and Hazeltine National Golf Club on his resume. Yet, he's seen immediate advantages with the system.

"Small things make a big difference, and the best way to describe the layout is user friendly, especially for the technicians and mechanics," he adds. "I'm spoiled, but if I went back to another course, I'd take a lot of this organization system with me."

In addition to the offices, the maintenance building houses the equipment repair bays - at least two for an 18-hole course - the parts department, all the reel grinding equipment, small tools and related supplies, and small equipment like walk-behind greens mowers and all the hand-held power tools.

Each section has its own "room," usually outlined by walls made of chain-link fencing on metal support frames. The walls are 8-or 10-feettall.

The design helps control the movement of people, parts and equipment. "We try to eliminate wasted steps and wasted time, so we've considered people's moves from the time they park their cars," Roth explains.

There are two main entrances, one to the staff area and one to the offices. Crew members, once they get their assignments, go into the yard right from the employee area, not by cutting through the shop. All the individual areas of specialty - parts, irrigation, small tools, chemicals and equipment for example - have separate access doors from the outside.

"Having separate access makes it easier for people to get what they need and get on with the job without traffic jams," Rodi says. "The layout inside the building is kept simple. There's plenty of light and the walls double as hangers for equipment. If you want to enlarge an area, the walls are pretty easy to rearrange.