New Equipment

It's not a secret that mowing equipment is an indispensable asset to any golf course.  Mowing is the one job that is done most frequently and has the biggest impact on the condition of the golf course.  From the first moment I saw our mowing fleet back in 2007, I quickly realized that a plan would be needed to phase out some of this old equipment to improve productivity and course conditions.  Over the years, we've had some success replacing certain machines, but never really made a big dent in the problem due to budget constraints.  We determined, that due to the condition of our old fleet, we wouldn't ever realize the increases in efficiency and course conditions if we just picked at the problem by buying 1-2 machines a year.  Keeping all this in mind, the grounds staff determined that leasing to purchase the entire fleet in one package would be most cost effective option.  The staff demoed equipment over the past year to determine which equipment would meet our needs.  Through this process, we quickly realized just how much inefficient our old fleet really was.

On November 18th, 2014, a recommendation for approval of a lease agreement was presented to the Owasso City Council.  The council, after some thorough questioning, unanimously approved the agreement.  I'd like to take a minute to recognize the council, as well as the leadership at Owasso City Hall.  The administrative staff at the City has been extremely supportive throughout this process.  I left that council meeting humbled by the strong vote of confidence by the Owasso City Council, thereby affirming their support for everything that the Bailey grounds department has done over the past several years to get the golf course back into something the community can be proud of.

This past week, the Bailey Ranch Grounds Department took delivery of the new fleet.  After years of struggling to keep the old equipment running, words cannot describe how grateful we are to have this new equipment!  The grounds staff will do everything in their power to ensure this equipment remains the best possible condition.

With all this new equipment sitting ready to go, we cannot wait to get started on a great 2015 seaon!