How Long Will It Last?

Published May 12, 2006

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With support from the following: USGA Green Section, Golf Course Builders Association of America, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and various suppliers for their assistance in compiling this information, the American Society of Golf Course Architects(ASGCA)has compiled a list various golf course items with their expected life cycles.

This information has great value, particularly when developing long-range plans and forecasting future expenditures. According to the chart we should be looking toward updating many items on our golf course. Is this true? Well, it's all about expectations, management and expenses. Do we need to rebuild our greens? From an agronomic point of view the answer is a BIG YES. Is it financially feasible? NO! So what do we do? We manage. I don't mean that in a sense that we just manage to get by, but in a sense that the greens must be managed. This holds true for some of the examples listed above but not all. For example; The irrigation system is made mostly out of plastic (PVC). As the system ages the plastic becomes brittle, the connections weaken and the chances for failure exponentially increases as each year passes. In addition, the sprinkler heads as well as the pumping station contain many moving parts that are prone to wear and degradation. The result is a gross loss of efficiency and increased operating costs not to mention the inability to adequately water the golf course.

Will the cart paths last forever? Do the drain lines last forever. The answer is obviously no. The cart paths are subject to freeze and thaw cycles and weaken over time and the drain-lines become clogged with sediment and no longer function properly. And the list goes on...

So what do we do? We manage.

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