A shortage of parts and equipment as a result of supply chain disruptions, a volatile fertilizer market that is blowing up budgets, record play, labor challenges and no slowing down of golfer demands have combined to create a perfect storm for the golf industry and have left many superintendents scrambling for answers
"There is real volatility in the market." said Chris Reverie, superintendent at Allentown Municipal Golf Course in Pennsylvania. "I'm seeing shortages in 30-gallon drums, totes and even plastic container caps for case product. Even better, the glue to apply the product label.
"Where will we stand in 2022? We're seeing weekly price increases, products not available and timelines for orders placed now could arrive somewhere between late summer to fall next year."
A recent story in The New York Times as well as a post on the Lebanon Turf blog by Chris Gray, golf channel manager for Lebanon's fertilizer segment, went a long way in explaining the upheaval in the fertilizer market. Among the many issues facing that industry are disruptions to urea supplies by manufacturers in Russia and China. It should come as no shock that manufacturers in those countries, according to the Times, have scaled back exports to meet the needs for their own growers. As a result, according to Lebanon, prices have nearly tripled for some urea products just since last year.
At one point, we had five (rough mowers) waiting for parts and one out mowing. . . . Now, what I see is a dominoes effect. . . . In our industry, it's more than one part. There is a chain reaction.
China has done the same with phosphate, limiting exports to ensure growers there have enough supply. The communist dictatorship is the world's leading producer of phosphate and so many other products on which the U.S. and world economies have become so reliant.
"I would say that this early order in October must rank as one of the largest orders placed by superintendents. I know I was among them. The question was what will 2022 look like?" Reverie said.
"The fear of not having the product for the 2022 season is real and we reacted. This is the largest early order I have ever placed. The goal was to secure our pricing and product availability by putting the orders in. This plan failed. The availability of raw materials has brought companies coming back to us with updated pricing on orders already placed.
"How do we budget for that? It's well known the cost of phosphate had doubled. We're always trying to do more with less but this was unexpected. How do you design a turf program, budget for the season and already be over budget while we're still in 2021?"
Shortages and higher prices have affected several markets.
In the wake of a winter storm that ravaged Texas in February, Anthony Williams' team at TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas in Irving, took down thousands of damaged trees, but struggled with what to do with them once they were on the ground.
"Trees, shrubs, 4,337 is how many we had to take down," Williams said. "After dropping those big oak trees, I was going to buy a log splitter. We were going to use (wood) around the resort. We were going to sell some for charity, so I ordered a log splitter at the end of May. The latest update, they tell me now, is it may be January before I can get something that you used to go and pick it up in person."
The same scenario is occurring at The Alotian Club in Roland, Arkansas, where Justin Sims is director of grounds and facilities.
"We are continuing to see several supply chain disruptions," Sims said. "There have been very long lead times on parts, drainage supplies, seed and various other items. Equipment lead times are the longest I've ever seen, but what might be even stranger is the inability to find rental equipment. There are so many construction projects, homes being built and infrastructure investments that it is becoming more difficult by the day to find rental equipment."
I would say that this early order in October must rank as one of the largest orders placed by superintendents. I know I was among them. The question was what will 2022 look like?
A shortage of repair parts for mechanized equipment has affected the day-to-day operations at TPC Four Seasons where Williams and his team have more than 100 total acres of rough spread over 36 holes. He typically runs six rough mowers to keep that amount of acreage under control. But the current times are anything but typical.
"At one point, we had five (rough mowers) waiting for parts and one out mowing," he said. "The owners asked 'What do we do?' They were supposed to be replaced last year, but because of Covid they deferred capital layout. Now, what I see is a dominoes effect. We were not able to mow rough on our normal rotation, which meant we ran the sweeper for two golf courses way more than ever. Now, we're into leaf season and that one sweeper is beginning to have issues because it is toward the end of its life cycle. In our industry, it's more than one part. There is a chain reaction."
In some cases, superintendents have had to get creative to find what they need from non-traditional sources.
"Last week, a 10-inch mainline broke on the Member Course. None of our pipe suppliers could supply 10-inch, high-pressure pipe," Williams said. "I eventually found it 60 miles down the road and had to put a credit card down to get it in order to put a mainline in in a timely fashion. I've lost track of how much stuff we have back ordered, and people look at you like 'well, there's nothing we can do.' "
