For those of us who love golf, the person most responsible for our enjoyment of the courses we play is the golf course superintendent. They work hard every day to apply their training and experience to provide optimal course conditions in the face of ever-increasing challenges, including weather, disease, weeds and insect pests.
Superintendents can’t always predict when they will face these agronomic challenges, but they plan for their management and prevention.
While their success in this effort is visible to us on the surfaces we play on every day, other daunting challenges your superintendent will face are not obvious to the average golfer. Managing the golf course maintenance budget to keep up with players’ expectations is more daunting than ever. The cost to maintain a course is rising and, in many cases, much faster than inflation - up 20–30% vs. just two years ago.
While golf is experiencing an unprecedented level of popularity, maintenance budgets are not unlimited.
Let’s talk about what factors are driving this challenge for golf course superintendents:
Labor
For some time now our superintendents have been challenged in retaining experienced and skilled workers. Landscaping and construction companies have created a competitive environment for a limited supply of workers. To stay competitive, pay levels have been outpacing inflation for some time.
Equipment
The cost for mowers, vehicles and all other equipment is increasing at a rapid pace. For example, in the past five years, the cost of a rough mower has risen from $45,000 to $92,000. There are many factors that are driving this. Overall demand for equipment is up while manufacturing capacity remains unchanged, and the cost of inputs such as steel and aluminum has been driven up in today’s economy. Keeping existing equipment in tip-top shape makes a mechanic one of the superintendent’s most important employees. It is important to mention that the price of replacement parts for existing equipment has experienced the same inflationary pressures. As a result, the importance of keeping your mechanic’s shop equipped and stocked is not getting lower.
Oil
You might not think of the cost of a barrel of oil when you set foot on the first tee, but it has a direct and indirect effect on the cost of golf course maintenance. Your superintendent purchases a significant amount of diesel and gasoline to power all of their equipment. Indirectly, the increased cost of fuel is passed on when paying for shipping and trucking costs, such as the delivery of sand and every other product shipped to the superintendent. Finally, oil is a key input in the creation of many of the chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers being used today.
Fertilizer and chemicals
The cost of these items has risen more than 30% in the last couple of years. In the geo-political climate of 2026, there is significant concern regarding the availability of fertilizers, given supply chain challenges and, as is the case with any potential scarce commodity, the cost of fertilizers is rising rapidly.
Infrastructure
Irrigation equipment is following the same economic trend. Each year, the cost to replace or upgrade your pump house and on-course equipment increases.
Increased play
The huge increase in golf demand is putting more golfers on courses than ever before. This increased traffic is stressing the turf. Your superintendent must invest in additional labor and materials such as seed, fertilizers and chemicals to repair the damage and support turf recovery.
Undaunted
As with the weather, these increased costs are out of the superintendent's control. And like their response to weather challenges, they are resourceful and undaunted. Some clubs can absorb these additional expenses and pass costs on to the player. The CDGA Turfgrass Program and clubs are experimenting with alternative management practices to mitigate the use of fertilizer and chemicals. There are even new turf varieties that are more disease resistant and/or drought tolerant that are being explored on area courses. In some cases, superintendents are making maintenance changes like eliminating bunkers or reducing the amount of closely mown areas on the course to reduce labor costs. Investment in different equipment, such as Triplex mowers, can reduce mowing time on greens and time is money. In the near future, you might even see robotic mowers bringing down the investment in labor.
As always, golf course superintendents are working hard under challenging conditions in ways that are both visible and hidden. Having an understanding of their efforts and effectiveness can add to your enjoyment of the game. l
Steve Green is a CDGA Governor and a member of the CDGA Green Committee. He has been a CDGA Blue Coat since 2017.