James Schmid said: I dont prepare the same way every day regardless of rounds. When our play drops here in the summer, I move tee markers less frequently. If tee markers on a par 3 can stay in the same place for 200 rounds in one day during the peak season, why cant they stay in the same place for 3 days at 30 rounds a day. same goes for changing cups. The other big factor is efficiency of labor in heavy play vs. light to no play. bunker raking? If they haven't been touched, why rake them again?
I can agree with you on many of these issues but we also have to keep in mind different situations. The tee marker and cups reference is a good one of you have new players everyday but my older membership would not be happy if they had to play from the same spot every day they play (yes they play 6 days a week here).
Bunkers I agree with 100%, but only if you have decent bunkers in the first place. Where we have bunkers that are contaminated with fines, even our irrigation system can make them harder or compacted so they need more attention than the ones we are currently rebuilding. Since cutting back to four guys bunkers have been move to the back of the pack in needs. We try to rake them once per week and on Thursday or Friday if possible for the weekend players.
Areas we had to cut back was in hand watering hot spots, where we now use the irrigation system more often and the players just have to deal with wetter slope areas. weedeating is done a few times per year opting to send a guy out with a sprayer and just roundup more areas instead. sadly, upkeep on equipment moves to an as need basis instead of a pre-maintenance program as well as all chemical applications.