Golf courses only really tend to be spotlit during the warmer months, and with good reason, as they’re far less popular at this time of year. For facilities managers overseeing the maintenance and upkeep of their courses, recognizing when they need to be given some serious improvements can prevent them from deteriorating into complete obsolescence. As winter approaches fast, that doesn’t mean that surfaces and infrastructure should be left barren and only addressed once it starts getting warmer again.
Golf courses have lifecycles, much like any infrastructure-intensive facility, so it’s pivotal that facilities managers understand the common warning signs that such intensive maintenance may be needed sooner rather than later. Find out what these common signs look like and how you can ensure your investment remains protected and your members can enjoy the course as intended, all year-round.
How Long Before Your Golf Course Needs an Overhaul?
Every component of a commercial golf facility has an expected lifespan. As a general guide, these timelines can be expected, according to the American Society of Golf Course Architects, working with the USGA Green Section and the Golf Course Superintendents Association:
- Golf greens: 15-30 years
- Irrigation systems: 10-30 years
- Tees: 15-20 years
- Bunker sand: 5-7 years
Timelines will, understandably, vary based on the incumbent climate and foundations of your facility, the quality and frequency of routine maintenance, and the average footfall and usage. However, these give you a good practical framework to work with, as far as planning is concerned.
Setting expectations is vital, and depending on your tenure as manager/owner of a golf course, a renovation is more than likely inevitable. It may happen immediately upon acquisition of a facility, and the course is in poor condition, or it may happen when you start to notice more complaints about quality or upkeep. The key is to address it proactively, rather than reactively.
Common Warning Signs of Poor Golf Courses
Drainage and Irrigation
These systems are vital parts of a course’s infrastructure, which, when beginning to fail or improperly managed, can spell disaster. Fairways can become waterlogged, standing water can find its way into bunkers, and the overall health of turf and grass rapidly deteriorates. Older systems succumb to wear and tear after years of repetitive use, and it’s only natural that these will start to fail. If your maintenance team reports sodden conditions despite sufficient solutions in place for rainfall management and collection, or if your water bills are climbing faster than expected, it may warrant further, deeper investigation. The USGA Green Section provides resources on irrigation assessment and management that can inform your evaluation process.
Uneven or Poor-Quality Playing Surfaces
Tees and greens will naturally deteriorate over time. While this may be visually noticeable, they also, more importantly, impact pace and quality of play, forcing players into poor or unusual positions, thus slowing their game down. Furthermore, patchy or slow greens can also have the same effect. If you begin hearing repeated complaints about putting green quality or a lack of uniformity across surfaces, it might be time to consider a renovation.
Deteriorating Bunkers
Bunkers may, over the course of a few years, succumb to erosion, water ingress, or other elements which affect their intended shape. If they need to be raked and maintained excessively and yet still underperform, it may be time to deploy liners and reconfigure the drainage to make them more functional. As such, a restoration may be imminent.
Aesthetic Decline
Sometimes, players and staff alike may just feel that the golf facility looks or feels rough, uninspiring, or tired. Sparse or rough turf, dead patches, outdated design elements, and just an overall feeling of wanting something new can all warrant a renovation. If more members begin using the course less often, or leaving the facility entirely, then this will usually be a good common denominator.
Golf Facility Upgrades to Consider
When timing and budgets allow, facilities managers should look at ways they can improve their courses beyond simply trimming and watering grass, raking bunkers, and ensuring sprinkler systems are in good working order. Consider the following:
- Smart irrigation systems: Many courses deploy smart systems which adjust schedules for watering automatically based on incumbent environmental conditions. This allows clubs to reduce water wastage and optimize their running costs.
- Alternative playing solutions: Golf courses are generally quieter in winter, but deploying high-quality commercial golf simulators offers members training and practice opportunities regardless of weather or course conditions. This extends the usability of your facility year-round.
- Improved drainage: Contemporary drainage design minimizes the risks of waterlogging that older courses often succumbed to. Restoring the whole drainage infrastructure is the best investment you can make in improving water management and supply.
- Improved grass quality: Newer grass cultivars offer improved performance qualities, some of which require less water, perform better in numerous weather conditions, and maintain their color shades all throughout the year.
Comprehensive, large-scale renovation projects may take anywhere between 12 and 18 months, depending on a variety of factors like weather and climate. Some golf facilities may benefit from executing a renovation in phases, allowing flexible access while parts of the course are reconfigured and repaired accordingly. Others may have the capital to get the whole project completed at once. This will also, as expected, influence the completion times.
Expect the upfront investment in a golf course overhaul to be substantial. However, deferring the costs of a renovation will only result in continued member dissatisfaction, repeated deterioration of the facilities, and numerous ad-hoc repairs that prove disruptive and only, proverbially speaking, paper over the cracks.
Start by getting your course evaluated by an experienced engineer, architect, or specialist who can objectively and thoroughly identify and categorize the condition of the underlying infrastructure, surface quality, and design elements. Have them prioritize the most important areas for consideration and repair, before moving onto the “nice-to-haves.”
What Next?
Continue to solicit feedback from users and members, which can be used as a valid form of evidence when requesting additional capital, if need be. Make sure that routine maintenance schedules are tweaked to account for new system installation requirements, improving them where applicable to ensure that your freshly renovated golf facility satisfies member needs.
Chester Avey has more than 20 years’ experience in IT and enjoys sharing his knowledge on a wide range of topics, having worked as a consultant for multiple industries and private organizations. You can connect with Chester by following him on X (formerly Twitter) @ChesterAvey and via his website here.