FACILITY & OPERATIONS
36 SportsTurf | January 2015 www.sportsturfonline.com
pre season at a discount. By getting our
mid-Atlantic stadiums on similar agro-
nomic plans, we were able to meet some
of these purchasing amounts in order to
capitalize on the early order programs
and bulk ordering discounts. This con-
cept also worked with infield conditioner
selection and mound clay use, once
the groundskeepers got past personal
preferences. Putting these stadiums on
the same products also helped if one
complex's supplies ran out, say due to a
poorly timed thunderstorm, other sta-
diums could meet the needs without the
delay of purchasing processes.
Partnerships and sharing is also about
the exchanging of ideas. By getting turf
managers together to determine agro-
nomic programs the opportunity to learn
from others increases. There are many
different nuances to the cultural practices
of verticutting and aerification. When
we schedule the rotation of equipment,
sharing of different cultural practice
experiences are discussed. The conversa-
tion naturally transitions into comparing
the differences or similarities in the pro-
cedures soon to be undertaken. We ask
ourselves, "What practices are proving to
be successful at another location that can
be implemented here?"
An inclement weather comparison
between locations is another instance
when information is shared. As with
Brickman STS, if one of the stadiums was
in the midst of a storm, that informa-
tion of severity and timing was relayed
to the groundskeeper downwind to be
prepared for it. If one stadium is playing
their game and another is not, why? Was
it the weather patterns or is field drain-
age of concern? This is true in the City
of Peoria holding multiple tournaments
concurrently, and also the weather sta-
tion ET data collected is shared over the
network with the complexes to control
their irrigation scheduling. This sharing
of information across the facilities aids
in keeping operations and maintenance
practices efficient.
These are just some of the examples of
developing partnerships between facili-
ties to maximize resources by sharing
equipment or employees, bulk purchas-
ing, and exchanging of ideas for best
management practices. Being creative
with the resources that your organiza-
tion has and integrating the resources of
others can provide the means to improve
your fields' quality. Remember, to avoid
creating a situation or an impression
of taking advantage of other facilities,
sharing and cooperation should be
more about the exchanging of ideas and
helping others rather than forced expec-
tations. ■
ST
Brandon Putman, CSFM, is the mainte-
nance coordinator for the City of Peoria (AZ)
sports facilities.
