Globetrotting consulting agronomist Terry Buchen visits many golf courses annually with his digital camera in hand. He shares helpful ideas relating to maintenance equipment from the golf course superintendents he visits — as well as a few ideas of his own — with timely photos and captions that explore the changing world of golf course management.

This elevator was installed in four days in the new maintenance building constructed in March 2016. It is located in the equipment manager’s shop that goes upstairs to the 750-square-foot second-floor mezzanine area. It measures 46.6 inches deep by 49 inches wide, with a 1,000-pound capacity, and it takes 32 seconds going up, 55 seconds going down, with a fully loaded lift speed of 15-25 feet per minute. A pallet will fit inside the lift unit but not with a pallet jack. The upstairs mezzanine area is used for all parts inventory for equipment, products for equipment maintenance, inventory of aerifier tines and verticut blades, spare mower cutting units, and verticut attachments, and other heavier stuff. The manufacturer is Custom Industrial Products, Modular Straddle VRC (PM Series) model. The specific cost for the elevator was part of the total construction budget and was not broken out. Superintendent

Color-coded synthetic fairway yardage markers, measuring 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 yards on the par 5s, are easily installed with this cutting tool made out of recycled bedknives, galvanized pipe and solid square steel stock. Each location is measured with a laser to the green and the operator stands on the tool to penetrate the Celebration Bermudagrass down to the soil line. A square shovel removes the outlined turf and the yardage marker is set in place with a nice crisp edge. Routine edging occurs, as needed, using large commercial grade scissors for a perfect edge. There was no cost for materials, and it took about an hour to build. Superintendent

Terry Buchen, CGCS, MG, is president of Golf Agronomy International. He’s a 51-year, life member of the GCSAA. He can be reached at 757-561-7777 or terrybuchen@earthlink.net.