EQUIPMENT

 Fabrication and Storage

While our time on the golf course itself, in winter, may be basic, our mechanic, Steve Lowe, is busy repairing, maintaining and fabricating equipment.  As an example, when it comes to debris blowers we try to utilize "out front" equipment to maximize the comfortness of the operator and improve efficiency.  As such, Steve cleverly mounted a pull type Toro blower to the front of a Toro 3100 utilizing the hydraulic system to operate the turbine.  (The blower previously had been hard mounted to the unit complete with it's own gas engine, fuel tank, battery, frame with castor wheels)  This greatly reduced the weight and cumberness of the unit and shortened it's overall length dramatically.  Now the operator will be able to effectively complete the task much better without concern of castor wheels breaking off, running out of fuel, fighting the long length of the unit (the further away the unit was from the operator the more dust and debris the person would be exposed to) and is able to go places we could not before with the wheels.
 

This is a shot of what cart storage looks like over the winter.  Here our 80+ carts are stored in the cart area in the basement of the clubhouse.  We tightened up the parking of the units to add space to store additional maintenance equipment.  I know most golf courses face similar off season storage issues and we are not without our own limitations.  The photo itself is not glamourous but it does depict nicely what you need to do to protect thousands of dollars worth of equipment.

POND HOCKEY

Winter Rink Preparations

At #18 pond we continue to prepare the pond for a skating surface.  Here the skating path to the rink has been flooded and is freezing to help smooth the ice to a nice finish.  Rink preparations begin with ice thickness checks, clearing of the snow, boards and netting installation and final flooding of the surface.  We use a 2" trash pump and flood the ice with the pond water using a 1 1/4" canvas hose to  the water to the surface.  Note the hockey net placed out of the way but soon ready for action.  Right now the ice is between 6" to 12" thick with the thinnest sections being near the edges of the pond.  The upcoming cold weather and removed snow cover should accelerate the ice buildup to a thicker level.