Golf course season winds down…or does it?
As golf season comes to a close once again, thoughts of next year are inevitably in the minds of turf managers across the country. Winter provides an excellent opportunity to reflect back and develop ways to improve moving forward. Taking this year’s experiences and applying them to next is critical in progressing as a professional. In this sense, having a new start every spring allows for a significant change in turf practices in a short period of time. But what if next year never comes?
For courses in climates that do not suspend play for an extended portion of the year, like in Canada, these changes in the job might not be as defined as they are gradual. Philosophical approaches to managing people or turf maintenance itself are difficult to modify once they become routine. And by not having a break in the action, it can be even harder to implement new strategies that might make for better working and turf conditions. 
As someone who plans to live and work in Australia very soon, this is my main concern. Continuous improvement is a big deal to me, so falling into habitual practices is a scary idea. Working year round on a golf course without seeing frost is a stimulating thought, but being better at it every day is what drives me. I think turf management in both Canada and Australia has its advantages and I will do my best to combine the two when I continue my career down under.
Maybe no winter break won’t be so bad. After a while, your paradigm will shift, and instead of the seasons stimulating new thinking, it’ll be driven by some chronological milestone, such as the club’s anniversary.
Good program planning principles dictate that program evaluation be constant, not just at the end of a program. Constant evaluation, followed by improvements, seems to be where your personal approach lies.