Because Bad Things Happen

 So, what do you do all winter?  Every full- time golf course employee is posed with this question again and again, year after year.  Golf maintenance is, by nature, an occupation which is largely intended to be appreciated while being unseen.  It is understandable that one might assume that little golf maintenance is accomplished during the winter months- after all we're certainly not on the golf course when we have eight inches of snow and sub- zero temperatures.  This assumption could not be further from the truth. 

To put it simply, we utilize the winter months for preparedness.  We are preparing for the hustle and bustle of the golf season in all facets of our operation.  We've outlined various winter activities in the past which included the tangible stuff our membership has likely experienced at one point or another.

Today we are taking the time to outline preparedness of a different type, which we address each off- season.  We have administrative and compliance requirements just as any other organization or workplace.  This year we have spent time preparing for disaster- because bad things do happen.  Proper preparation can reduce the impact of catastrophic events such as fires, thefts, inclement weather, and employee injuries.

We recently performed an inventory of our entire maintenance facility.  A thorough, well documented inventory is intended to protect the club in the event our maintenance facility is destroyed or falls victim to criminal activity.  We already knew how expensive our golf course equipment was- $1.1 million in mowers, tractors, and vehicles used to keep the course pristine.  Throughout the past few days we have cataloged everything else in our maintenance facility- approximately $375,000 in total- from inspirational artwork to tools and toilet scrubbers.  These materials are in place to support our staff, machinery, and the golf course.  This process had not been completed this thoroughly in some time and was an eye- opening experience.         

 We collected serial numbers, took over 275 photographs, and made a video tour of our shop and everything in it.  We paid special attention to high value items which would likely be targeted by thieves, such as hand tools.

 We also utilized various internet shopping outlets to put a value to that which we had cataloged to ensure that our facility is properly insured in the event that we have a catastrophic event which results in a total loss of our shop and everything in it.  We were shocked when we researched replacement costs- especially for items which have been around for a very long time.  For example, the bench top vise in the photo above would cost approximately $4,000 to replace!  Hopefully Wakonda Club never falls victim to the unthinkable and we can forget about this documentation until next winter.  It does give us peace of mind knowing that we have taken steps to prepare for disaster.