Secondary maintenance shed for courses with elongated routings

[Michael Wolf]

Has anyone studied or implemented the idea of a secondary maintenance shed that's located on the opposite side of a routing from the primary maintenance facility?


I am wondering about the breakeven payback on time and fuel savings if a smaller shed was stocked with hand tools, spare parts, hoses etc that most often require unplanned return trips to the main barn. Maybe something as simple as a walk in closet that's on the backside of an already planned bathroom or storm shelter.


Or maybe these are already widely used and I just haven't noticed them?


Thanks,
Michael

[Jeff_Brauer]

I've seen it and done it, but it is rare.  The reasons you list are about correct, but the ones I have seen simply have a small fuel tank and room to store the most oft used machines, with the equipment maintenance done in the main building.  In other words, the sheds save daily travel time just to get where the greens mowers, etc. need to be.  The mechanic can probably drive to that outlying shed with a selection of hand tools when necessary.

[Kyle Harris]

Absolutely.

Especially useful when it comes in the form of a fill-pad for sprayers and maybe some limited dry storage.

Superintendents are a crafty lot. I'll bet more exist that few even know about.

[Jeff Schley]

Has anyone studied or implemented the idea of a secondary maintenance shed that's located on the opposite side of a routing from the primary maintenance facility?


I am wondering about the breakeven payback on time and fuel savings if a smaller shed was stocked with hand tools, spare parts, hoses etc that most often require unplanned return trips to the main barn. Maybe something as simple as a walk in closet that's on the backside of an already planned bathroom or storm shelter.


Or maybe these are already widely used and I just haven't noticed them?


Thanks,
Michael

Michael I think your sense is correct in that they can be pragmatic. For large properties like Dismal River for example, even the halfway house is like almost 10-15 or more minutes to ride back on the clubhouse, for maintenance I'm sure it is very spread out. Of course they don't manicure everything there like some courses, but the greens and fairways yes. Have to be a nightmare to have to change something out and takes 30 minutes round trip to and from the maintenance barn every time.

[Don Mahaffey]

Yes,
As Kyle noted especially nice for filling sprayers, storing top dressing sands, ferts etc.  Main shop is where all repairs are done. If you've got road access then receiving sands is super simple. If not you'll need a way to shuttle materials around. But storing a few greens mowers, fwy mowers, a place for staff to take a break without a 10 min commute to main shop.  Lots of good reasons to have a satellite shop.

[John Emerson]

One course I worked at had a small shed out in the middle of the golf course.  It had gas, some hand tools, sod cutter, other items I can’t seem to remember, and water spigot.  It was very useful and saved a ton of time on days when the sprayer or spreader was going all day.  Just have someone bring the chemicals and/or fertilizer to the shed and you never have to return to the shop during the day. Prob saved 2 hrs worth of driving back and forth.  If a course sprays a lot then it makes sense to have one of these, especially if the course is really spread out

[Anthony_Nysse]

One course I worked at had a small shed out in the middle of the golf course.  It had gas, some hand tools, sod cutter, other items I can’t seem to remember, and water spigot.  It was very useful and saved a ton of time on days when the sprayer or spreader was going all day.  Just have someone bring the chemicals and/or fertilizer to the shed and you never have to return to the shop during the day. Prob saved 2 hrs worth of driving back and forth.  If a course sprays a lot then it makes sense to have one of these, especially if the course is really spread out

Was it a proper fill station for the sprayer or just chemical & a hose?

[Kyle Harris]

One course I worked at had a small shed out in the middle of the golf course.  It had gas, some hand tools, sod cutter, other items I can’t seem to remember, and water spigot.  It was very useful and saved a ton of time on days when the sprayer or spreader was going all day.  Just have someone bring the chemicals and/or fertilizer to the shed and you never have to return to the shop during the day. Prob saved 2 hrs worth of driving back and forth.  If a course sprays a lot then it makes sense to have one of these, especially if the course is really spread out

Was it a proper fill station for the sprayer or just chemical & a hose?

Have you found the ruins/pad of the old one right of 10?

Is the fill station still right of 7?

[Anthony_Nysse]

One course I worked at had a small shed out in the middle of the golf course.  It had gas, some hand tools, sod cutter, other items I can’t seem to remember, and water spigot.  It was very useful and saved a ton of time on days when the sprayer or spreader was going all day.  Just have someone bring the chemicals and/or fertilizer to the shed and you never have to return to the shop during the day. Prob saved 2 hrs worth of driving back and forth.  If a course sprays a lot then it makes sense to have one of these, especially if the course is really spread out

Was it a proper fill station for the sprayer or just chemical & a hose?

Have you found the ruins/pad of the old one right of 10?

Is the fill station still right of 7?

Kyle,
  Both have been found & noted & no longer in use. Florida Fresh has removed all the old material stored.

[SB]

We had one that just had a small shed that only held a greensmower and some small tools.  Allowed someone to start cutting greens early without a big morning drive, which was really long as it was in a housing development.  Very efficient.

[John Emerson]

One course I worked at had a small shed out in the middle of the golf course.  It had gas, some hand tools, sod cutter, other items I can’t seem to remember, and water spigot.  It was very useful and saved a ton of time on days when the sprayer or spreader was going all day.  Just have someone bring the chemicals and/or fertilizer to the shed and you never have to return to the shop during the day. Prob saved 2 hrs worth of driving back and forth.  If a course sprays a lot then it makes sense to have one of these, especially if the course is really spread out

Was it a proper fill station for the sprayer or just chemical & a hose?

It was equipped for filling a sprayer with water and that’s about it.  It had The extended water line with the drop down hose and nozzle that coupled with the toro sprayer connection.  There was no “fill station” pad with a drain. Just soil and grass there. Pretty basic set up

[Tom Bacsanyi]

Our routing is nicely concise and our shop is placed right around the turn (between 10 and 11 but 10 is a short par 3). Our pond and pumphouse is located furthest away, and we store some pipe and irrigation components but not much else.

[Alan FitzGerald CGCS MG]

I don't think the investment to build something would make a return on the investment. There may be some savings if there is already an existing building that, as mentioned, could store material like fertilizer, sand or a pesticide mix area. Other than that they can be cumbersome with the need to shuffle people and equipment around to them so the savings are minimal. I much prefer having everything at a central (as in one spot, not necessarily in the middle of the course) hub as it is much easier to coordinate all the resources from there.