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Maintenance reports slower overseeding on late courses, 285 acre‑feet water savings and staff shortfall
Summary
Maintenance staff reported slower germination on the final overseeded courses but said turf is filling in; year‑to‑date water use is 285 acre‑feet lower than last year and the department is about 11 positions short of the budgeted staff level.
Golf maintenance lead Todd Paddy told the committee Nov. 6 that germination on the last three courses in the overseeding rotation has been slower than on the earlier courses (normal for timing), and mowing resumed as turf began to fill in. Staff used a new three‑way perennial ryegrass blend this season that, Todd said, has shown better color, slower winter growth and reduced nitrogen needs compared with the intermediate blend previously used. He said that should reduce mowing frequency and fertilizer inputs going forward.
Todd reported year‑to‑date irrigation use is about 285 acre‑feet less than the prior year and that the operation remains under its allotment with about 590 acre‑feet available for the remainder of the season. He credited recent shoreline and project work at Grandview and Echo Mesa for water savings.
On staffing, Todd said the golf maintenance organization is budgeted for 86 positions and currently at about 75 employees (roughly 11 positions short). He said hiring is improving, several vacancies are in process and the department is using a third‑party crew (Soul Crest) for desert maintenance and other detail work; outsourcing reduces benefit costs. The committee discussed leveraging outsourced labor and robotic mowing pilots as ways to address capacity needs.
Todd also summarized a USGA West Region note shared with the committee that benchmarks 13–16 employees as a typical staffing range for quality 18‑hole course maintenance; Sun City West’s fully staffed average would be just under that range."
