Hellen Jung, a member from 2002 was cleaning out her basement and found her old Golfaround binder. For those of you who joined since 2014 will not know about the binders as this was when we developed our present web site and included all the information required for your lessons and league. In the binder there was a league schedule which included the rates back then. It was very interesting to look at how inflation has affected us. The cost increase varied from 2.5% to 140%.
We certainly understand that inflation has affected all of us and I am sure the cost of operating a golf course is heavily impacted as well so we thought it would be good to share some basic information of the maintenance cost to keep the golf courses in the condition we have come to expect.
The annual cost to maintain a golf course can range from about $500,000 for a public course and double that for a private course with labor representing 50% of this. Private clubs have higher maintenance costs than public courses, as they usually charge higher green fees, so require more attention to detail.
A typical public course will have between 12 and 18 maintenance employees. Likewise, private courses will usually have between 18 and 25 to meet extra demand. Employing a maintenance team doesn’t come cheap! The average golf course maintenance salary in the Canada is $30,000 to $40,000 per year.
The next major cost is equipment, accounting for around 12% of the annual budget and this figure includes the leasing of maintenance equipment, as well as the ongoing repair and running expenses incurred, such as fuel and lubricants. Mowing will often consume a large portion of a maintenance team’s day. Therefore, a reliable collection of mowing equipment is essential. Usually, clubs will use several types of mowers, each suited to a different part of the course. However, mowers aren’t the only machines used on the golf course. Most golf clubs have a diverse collection of specialized equipment to keep the course in top shape. This includes turf cultivation equipment, such as those used for aerating, fertilization, and pest-management equipment.
The third significant expense is fertilizer and pesticides, at around 9% of the budget. Golf course fertilizers are a necessary ingredient for many clubs, especially those looking to maintain a pristine course in a location with challenging climates. Essentially, fertilizers are used as a supplement to keep the turf healthy when the soil alone isn’t meeting its needs, encouraging growth and providing valuable nutrients. For this reason, many courses fertilize the greens every two weeks with the fairways and tee boxes being fertilized twice annually.
Furthermore, pesticides are also used to ensure the turf remains in prime condition. In particular, maintenance teams will use fungicides to combat the unwanted growth of fungi, which can occur naturally in many environments. Last but not least is the cost of fuel and utilities which we know have increased for us both at the pump and on our water bills. Just watering our lawn and garden is pretty expensive so I can’t imagine the cost of watering a golf course.
Given that labor expenses account for more than half of golf course maintenance costs, what sort of tasks are golf course maintenance teams expected to do?
Putting greens are mowed almost daily
Greens are periodically rolled to improve smoothness
Bunkers are frequently raked to prepare for the day’s play
Hole locations are changed to distribute traffic and add variety to play
Tee markers are moved often to avoid excessive wear
Tee boxes and fairways are mowed several times each week
The rough is mowed multiple times per week
Trash cans, ball washers, and other accessories are replenished
Maintenance costs are directly proportional to the quality of the golf course. Often, pristine courses will be able to charge higher green fees to offset the expense.