11/29/2016 1:11 PM
As we sit in the frozen north this off season and spend some time each week thinking up ways to save on labor, supplies, and in general become more efficient, a general thought crosses my mind time and time again.
We as turf managers spend an abundance of time and resources on an area of our property in which we fight constantly: The Sand Trap Hazard!
Let's be honest, we've all read the articles about bunker maintenance and philosophies, and we all know we aren't getting larger budgets to off set the cost of increased inputs and decreased labor force. We budget and trim, labor usually takes a bit of a hit. After all, it is the highest priced line item for many budgets. Some of you that are in the same boat as I are working in remote locations at destination facilities and there just isn't a local labor force anyway, so we go elsewhere for better or for worse. But it has a cost.
Long story short, bunker maintenance at our property takes a lot of time, we have also noticed a real downturn in our patron's ability to assist in the etiquette and maintenance of these "HAZARDS". We've limited the frequency of full raking fairway hazards, and spot rake often. We've eliminated the maintenance and removed some hazards that are not in play. But in the end, I can't possibly neglect it all together.
As I looked through our accessories at they came in for the winter, I realized our rake inventory is in serious need of a facelift. We've done the vinyl guard thing and replaced shattered handles, but it now looks like a ragtag bunch of sticks with faded, cracked or broken and bent teeth heads.
We are toying with leaving them out of fairway bunkers and placing minimal rakes into our higher play greenside traps in order to alleviate several issues you all probably can spell out on your own. My question, and here is the nuts and bolts of this post, would be to ask:
How many of you have rakes on your carts, is it effective in encouraging the use, does it save you any time, and has there been any compliments or complaints from your clientele?
Thank you to any who answer, I know this got to be a bit more than originally intended.