Working within Aprils budget with May/June temps. Cancel The title field is required!

1. Virgil Range

   

   0 posts
   
   4/2/2012 4:04 AM

   Im a 9 hole Supterintendent. Thanks goodness April is here. Finally I can get somewhat of a crew. Are most labor budgets over budget due to the weather. I have US Open rough because of a lack of crew.
   
   Any suggestions on what to do with a low budget for labor but the weather is full swing. Last yr..April 9..greens still brown, no leaves on trees, and haven't mowed yet. I am mowing everyday now and everything is in full swing but without a crew.
   
   Along with daily operations, I'm building a 4000sq ft Nursery/Practice green with a practice bunker. Again with no crew...
   
   Looking to squeeze every dollar but still produce great conditions. Maybe the weather will slow a little...but dought that.
   
   Thanks
   Virgil Range
   Maryville CC
   Maryville MO

   
   
   
   
2. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   4/2/2012 5:04 AM

   Tell me about it. We typically don't start mowing rough until late April/early May. This year we started in February. With fuel where it is, it's going to be a very tight season for all types of budgets. Not only that, throw in wear and tear on the equipment and redirecting labor away from winter projects and something just isn't going to get done. I've already started communicating this to the higher ups in the hopes it will save my rear, but I have a feeling we'll be cutting back big time come fall.

   
   
   
   
3. Kyle Fick

   

   4 posts
   
   4/2/2012 10:04 AM

   I too feel the struggle coming. In the way north of the upper midwest, I usually haven't put a cut on greens until mid April. Shucks, I'm gonna drop my HOC in order to speed up greens this week. Greens are fully green, tees and fairways trying. Irrigation has been at full pressure for a week, and we've hit 80 more than 30 over the past month. My thoughts revolve around how much more water do we need this year, is the nutrient requirment going to be higher with 2 more months of growing, and how does that affect the budget that was submitted in November of 2011? It's a recipe for disaster, especially with operating cost like fuel and labor killing the initial startup as you both mentioned. Like Andy said, we have to prioritize things out of the budget in order to keep up on simpy maintaining what we have. Add to that no snow and an early drought, and man, the gates have been a little overwhelming this spring.
   
   Kyle Fick

   
   
   
   
4. Verdun Scott M

   
   4/2/2012 3:04 PM

   Virgil,
   
   I'm sure your mentor in the west burbs trained you well for handling this type of situation . I think Andy hit the nail on the head which is communication to the powers that be about what is happening. I'm fortunate that our membership understood that not all sticks were going to be cleaned up instantly in the rough, also our GM and BOD understood that we needed to do what was necessary to get the course going which meant bringing in a skeleton crew. Be sure to communicate to your boss be it Green Chairman, Club President or General Manager that we are having an atypically early season and what struggles that is presenting and get their input as to where the priorities are. If you have input from your boss then at the very least if the membership is upset about anything then you at least have back-up.
   
   The only thing in our industry better than drainage drainage drainage is communicate communicate communicate.
   
   Good luck buddy, hope all is well in the transition zone!
   
   Scott

   
   
   
   
5. Wahlin Scott B

   
   4/2/2012 3:04 PM

   If the weather is so warm, don't you have additional revenues to cover the expenses?

   
   
   
   
6. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   4/2/2012 3:04 PM

   Scott Wahlin, CGCS said: If the weather is so warm, don't you have additional revenues to cover the expenses?

   
   
   They're all at yours and Huffs place beating the course up!

   
   
   
   
7. Wahlin Scott B

   
   4/2/2012 4:04 PM

   Andy Jorgensen said:

   Scott Wahlin, CGCS said: If the weather is so warm, don't you have additional revenues to cover the expenses?

   
   
   They're all at yours and Huffs place beating the course up!

   
   
   Thank God for that because I could not have survived many more years like that past three. My daugher works at Publix Supermarket. I asked her if she thought she could get me a job as a bag boy with health insurance. She said, "You don't want to do that. They have to clean bathrooms." I answered, "What do you think I have been doing to the past 25 years!"

   
   
   
   
8. Brent Venenga

   

   0 posts
   
   4/3/2012 7:04 AM

   Scott, That is a great point. I'm in the same situation. My answer is some but then again a majority of our play is from memberships, high school, and college golf teams. In general you don't make another penny off these customers after their first payment.

   
   
   
   
9. Justin VanLanduit

   

   0 posts
   
   4/4/2012 10:04 AM

   Virgil,
   
   Scott hit the nail on the head with communication. Talk with whomever it is that you either report to or whomever makes the calls. Find out from them what the expectations are at this point in the season. You know from experience here in Chicago that at this point in the year we are just getting outside and getting things cleaned up. This year grass is growing like crazy so mowing frequencies are more like May/June so that is taking labor away from the normal cleanup tasks and members are seeing debris here and there. Communicate with those people and let them know what you're against. Let them know you have a list and it's prioritized, shared that list with them and see if they'd rather have something else done in another's place. I myself have already been communicating to my Chairman, GM, and President that we may be seeing some line items over budget, all weather related items. Pesticides, fertilizer, fuel, labor. Hopefully April returns to normal and we can make some back but it is what it is and they expect a golf course in decent to perfect shape and we have to do what we have to do. Communicate to your audience "golfers" and let them know the circumstances and your plan of action, those who read the information usually care and understand. Hopefully those will become advocates of yours and communicate to others what it is you're battling. Best of luck my friend!