One of the inside jokes we get a chuckle out of every year and you get this question a lot if you work on a golf course is "What do you do in the wintertime?". We think it's funny but it does get old and at times you just give a smart ass response if it's warranted. Something like watch golf or wash golf balls or something like that because most just don't have a clue.
Some time ago I wrote a tongue in cheek piece about just that but of course can't find it and now the question has been popping up once more I thought I'd explain.
Simply the answer has many similarities to farming although the reasoning for that has changed a bit but is still valid. A good operator spends his time preparing for the next season repairing or modifying his equipment so that when he takes it to the field it's going to work during that critical time of year of field preparation and planting.
It the same with this business as that's what I/we do is prepare our equipment for the coming spring and golf year. The mowers have to be in top notch shape because when you cut acres and acres of grass on a daily basis the demands are huge. Some of the equipment we have is old to say the least up to 30 years and some not so old but have many hours on them.
Yesterday did a swing around video of what's in the shop. Some of it has been worked on some not but you can get the idea anyway that there's plenty to do and below this floor there is a huge basement with a whole bunch more. One thing that makes the day go faster is good music and generally it's KDNK out of Carbondale that we listen to much of the time. Just don't know how they can play so much incredible music day in and day out.
It's Friday-maybe we watch TV and throw snowballs at the cars that continually run the stop sign. After all it's winter time.
Give'em hell!
Ok Eskimo Joe, you keep a nice clean shop, always a good sign of well maintained machinery. We've had 12 successive nights of frost (no big deal, right) but right now it's in the mid 60s and I've just cut the weeds, got a bit of a sweat on.
ReplyDeleteIf it was completely like farming you'd be in Texas sitting in front of the RV right now. Quite the operation, One Fly.
ReplyDeleteMan, quite the shop you have there. I saw mainly Toro with a Jake in the background. Do send the bedknives out to be sharpened, or do do your own? That Jake has to be 20 years old. Who's the guy in the picture on the wall with the blond afro? You at Halloween? What day does the Snap On truck stop by? Gotta come visit and paly a few rounds this spring.
ReplyDeleteOne thing about weeds Holte and I gotta add this to One Fly's sayings at the bottom of the page and that is "Mowed weeds look better than non mowed weeds". I bet it looks real nice around your place.
ReplyDeleteYea Camper I got it all. I've come to the realization my purpose in life is to croak while using the business end of a fucking grease gun.
It is mostly Toro Russ but the three main players all have some good stuff but I am a Toro man for sure. That Jake walker is about 10 years old I suppose and I hate these things. A real piece of shit. We bought these things not with maintaining them in mind but for operating features that made them easier to mow with. That will never happen again. I do all the grinding and there are close to 60 reels this winter that will have to be serviced. We have state of the art grinders -even a half wit can do this not like the old days. Did not get the new bed knife grinder until 5-6 years ago. Up till then was still doing them by hand. The tool guys have been scared away for years cuz they don't like to be hit up for discounts as they think like the rest of the rich whores that you must have a lot of money if you live here. Fuck 'em.
You come out and we'll golf till you drop and it's on me. That would be fun! Do you understand that I hate golfers?
You shouldn't hate golfers they keep us employed! Besides I would call you a golfer.
ReplyDeleteI do not do much different in winter than in summer. I blog, play with the dogs, smoke my weed, drink my scotch (or beer), cook my beans, and take occasional trips to Santa Fe; only dressed more warmly in winter, more sparsely in summer...
ReplyDeleteThe way I swing-I'm a golfer and you know the hate golfers thing is used very loosely but at times it is true.
ReplyDeleteI envy you Woody-I do not see myself ever being able to do something similar. That's a mighty nice lifestyle. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteif you got 4 guys you can play cards
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