Some musical chairs in the Grounds Department

As we discussed last week (Thank you, Joseph!), our longtime equipment mechanic, Joseph Ferman, has retired.  The position of Golf Course Mechanic is often one of the most difficult to fill, as the nuances of the job make it unlike any other.  It is a fast-paced work environment, requiring a broad knowledge base.  A golf course mechanic must have excellent troubleshooting skills, along with an understanding of gasoline and diesel engines, hydraulics, electrical wiring, reel grinding, etc.

For anyone unfamiliar with the industry, the demands of the job can be daunting.  For example, in-season, the greens are cut seven days a week, meaning that each of the greens mowers need to be checked for quality of cut and height of cut seven days a week.  The same holds true for any piece of equipment that we use--once it leaves the shop, it will require some maintenance when it returns.

Given these challenges, we are quite fortunate to be able to have a current employee, Don Robel, assume the position of Mechanic for us.  Don has been employed at Laurel Creek for several years as our lead Spray Technician, and has assisted in equipment maintenance and special projects.  He has an extensive knowledge of small engine repair, as well as being familiar with the flow of our operation.  Additionally, Don has personally operated all of our equipment, so he is aware of exactly how each piece should be performing.

Don Robel prepares a tire for mounting.

While Don's shift to Mechanic fills one hole for us, it creates another, as we will lose his skills on the golf course.  Fortunately, we have been training several other employees as Spray Technicians, who have now obtained their applicator's licence, and gained experience in the field.