The golf course staff is busy laying sod on the golf course. By tomorrow, we hope to have all of the tee surrounds complete. I learned today that the 7 guys who are lacking will not be arriving until Mid-May at the earliest. This isn't good new, obviously. Using a local source, I am have lined up 5 additional men for next Monday. They will be with us for the next month with the downside being we have to train a group of workers to walkmow etc, with them leaving shortly thereafter. At this point, it is a necessary evil and we will hit the challenge head on. It comes down to the goal of a stable workforce while balancing the costs of such things as employees who a required to receive benefits like health insurance. Golf course maintenance is a department that needs staff at a minimum of 10 months out of the year to meet the current needs and standards set forth by the membership. The H2B program is an affordable solution for the Club, however, it's not reliable and every spring the federal government threatens the program in order to encourage businesses to hire local workers. The problem: One, they don't exist. Two, they cost the Club more money via benefits. An H2B visa is a flat hourly rate, covering everything form workman's comp to payroll taxes.
Above, sod is being installed around the complex, giving a complete look. We still have another wave of plant material on the way tomorrow as well. It will be another couple days before everything is mulched and looking 100% finished.
Today we sand topdressed the courts that were recently sodded.
Joyce helped me build the Locust fence below, the definition of teamwork!
Below, assistant mechanic, Kevin Earp got out of the shop for most of the day and painted the iron railing on the lower wall.
Another shot of the fence, below.
