Here is sneak peak of a future Piper Newsletter article, coming out later this summer...
Grass Clippings
Brian J. Stiehler, CGCS, MG
There’s no question, that working on this side of the golf industry, no 2 days are alike. In fact, many days, planning goes out the window because Mother Nature decided to throw us a few curve balls. While I say that about the department, nothing can prepare anyone for the job of a golf course mechanic. Over the past 30 years and 7 different facilities, I’ve come to admire those in the position. There are two that I admire the most and that’s my current equipment technician team of Matthew Green and Darren Worley. Simply put, they’re the best I’ve worked with. The best mechanic has a can-do attitude and even-keeled personality. It’s someone that can roll with the punches, keep their head up and be willing to adjust their plans as different situations arise. What I just described would be the greatest employee in any position and it’s a type of personality that seems harder and harder to come by. Now imagine having a mechanic with that mindset! While there is a lot of satisfaction to be gained from that position, it’s important to remember that they deal with a lot of negative issues. Specifically, I mean other members of the staff are constantly bringing them broken or malfunctioning equipment. It’s a position that is so far behind the scenes, that it can feel like your day passes and you largely go unappreciated. I can say after my extensive work experience in this industry, a great mechanic is a prized possession, and our team of Matthew and Darren define that!
Everyday, these gentlemen are responsible for all the mowing equipment that goes out on the golf course. This means greens mowers, fairway mowers, tee mowers and rough mowers. Everyday, they will ensure the mower blades or reels are sharp and cutting to perfection. There isn’t one day that is missed. On top of that, all that same equipment also has an engine that must be attended to and maintained on a routine basis. Furthermore, they still have all our heavy equipment like the excavator, skid steer and tractors to maintain as well as other equipment like rollers and aerifiers. All together, they maintain a $1 million or more equipment fleet.
I am reminded
of a June day, which serves as an excellent example of how hectic things can get
for this 2-man team. The day started
relatively normal although they were slightly behind schedule because I asked
Darren to mow all three croquet lawns in the morning because we are constantly
stretched thin. Matthew even agreed to
unload a truck full of trees and shrubs that morning so we wouldn’t have to
bring in guys from the golf course who were busy with mowing and set-up. After the greens mowers were checked, which
includes a daily 200-point inspection of all the hydraulic fitting points on our
triplex mower, a radio call came into the shop about hydraulic fluid leaking
from the tractor, which happened to be on #12.
The power steering line started leaking and fortunately, we had the
means and fittings/ equipment to make a new hydraulic hose and install it. The back and forth between the shop and #12
seemed constant. During that time, they
were slowed down because two members stopped by wanting to put air in their
vehicle tires; one of which had a nail in the tire. After the guys got the wheel and tire off the
vehicle, they were able to patch the tire, fill it with air and get it back on
the vehicle as if they were working a NASCAR pit stop. Once finished, it was
back to #12 as if nothing happened. While putting the new line on the tractor,
Matthew received a text from the practice facility that the ball picker was
down because of a corroded battery terminal cable that came loose. Once again, it was back to the shop where the
guys maintain a parts inventory to be sure a piece of equipment is never out of
commission longer than it must be. After
working an hour of overtime to get all this settled, the guys called it a day
and went home, leaving with the same positive attitude they showed up with, 9.5
hours prior. They return day after day,
not knowing what the day will bring, yet have the confidence they can handle
what ever that is! I'd also be remiss to not tell you that during HCC Camp week, these 2 guys spent their mornings baiting hooks and helping the campers catch fish! There is nothing they aren't willing to do...that's my kinda man!
It's important to me to recognize the members of my team that are critical to the success of Highlands CC and work hard everyday to be sure your golf course is in great condition. Without the talent of these two, your fairways wouldn’t have the crisp stripes and the greens wouldn’t roll near as smooth. My hope is this gives you a greater insight and appreciation for what happens behind the scenes and the important roll they play. You can see why I appreciate them as much as I do!
.gif)