The Ridge at Manitou Golf Club

The Ridge at Manitou

Golf Club

Turf Department

Employee Manual

Introduction

Welcome to the start of another golf season which we hope will be an enjoyable and successful one. Our first and foremost objective this season is to provide the best possible playing conditions for the entire golfing season. It is our objective to maintain and improve upon the standard that we set last year. In order to achieve this goal, we must work together as a team in both a

professional and efficient manner. The purpose of this manual is to give you, the employee, a good understanding of what is expected of you during the upcoming season. The manual also outlines rules, regulations and job descriptions. It is the responsibility of the Greens Department to consistently provide "premier" course conditions. In order to achieve these goals, both employers and employees must enjoy and take pride in their work. Every job we complete, as minor as it might seem, contributes substantially to the overall quality of the golf course. Whether it is filling divots, line trimming, raking bunkers or cutting greens. All tasks are equally important. It is our responsibility as your employer to provide a safe and quality working environment in order to achieve the success we are looking for. We, as management, are always open to suggestions and new ideas. If you have any concerns or questions, we hope that they can be discussed openly. We want to provide you with an enjoyable and comfortable working environment so you will enjoy your time at the Ridge at Manitou Golf Club

Sincerely,

Drew Rachar

Policies and Procedures

1. There is no smoking allowed on the golf course or in the maintenance building or any other building on the course.

2. Smoking is allowed in areas designated by the Superintendent. Smoking is permitted at break or during the lunch hour. Designated smoking areas are as follows: Behind the Shop.

3. Cigarette butts are to be disposed of in appropriate containers. It is not acceptable nor will it be tolerated to discard cigarette butts on any area of the course or maintenance area. (i.e. throwing them on the ground).

4. It is the responsibility of the smokers to maintain these disposal containers. If they are not maintained, the result could be an overall smoking ban for the entire property.

Equipment Policy:

1. All equipment is to be operated in a safe and efficient manner which includes the wearing of seat belts at all times when available.

2. If you are not trained on the equipment in question, do not use it.

3. Damage to equipment is caused either through negligence or by accident. All equipment will be monitored on a daily basis for damage. It will be up to the discretion of the superintendent as to whether the damage to equipment has been done through either negligence or by accident. Negligence will be dealt with verbal or written warnings.

4. Negligent use that has resulted in the injury of another worker will result in immediate dismissal. 5. All incidents resulting in damage to the equipment will be documented.

6. Any problems with the equipment are to be reported to the equipment manager as soon as possible.

7. Employees are not to use equipment without functioning safety devices in place; including seat belts.

8. Only the Equipment Manager, or his Apprentice, are to perform repairs on equipment.

Late Policy:

1. All Employees’ are to be in the lunchroom at the start of the day. The Punch Clock located in the hallway is considered to be the official time.

2. Lateness will not be tolerated. Tardiness will result in a verbal or written warning.

3. Employee’s who arrive late for work three or more times are subject to dismissal at any time by the Superintendent.

Safety Equipment:

1. All employees will be issued safety equipment for the season.

2. It is the responsibility of the employee to maintain this equipment in working order. 3. Replacement of safety equipment will be at the expense of the employee

4. No more than 2 pairs of earplugs are to be taken each day.

5. All employees will wear the required safety equipment for each job that they perform. Failure to do this will result in disciplinary action.

Garbage Policy:

1. All equipment will be thoroughly cleaned of all garbage at the end of each day.

2. All garbage will be placed in the appropriate recycling containers at the end of the day.

3. Please, do not discard any garbage material on the course. It only creates more work for us in the end.

Time Sheet Policy:

1. Employees are responsible for punching their own time sheets at the start and end of each day. 2. Employee’s are not allowed to punch in or out for other employees. If you have forgotten to

punch in and out, you must advise the Superintendent.

3. If you get caught punching another employees time cards, the following will happen: a. The employee that you punched out for will be terminated immediately

b. The individual that punched the card will be given a verbal and written warning concurrently.

Ipod/MP3 players:

1. IPods and MP3 players are prohibited during scheduled working time. Please leave these items in your locker until the end of your shift.

Golfer/Worker Interaction:

1. We, as Landscape Gardener staff, have the delicate position of trying not to detract from the experience of the golfer while still trying to get our work done in a timely fashion. Therefore we still need to work while golfers play through the course. We also need to protect ourselves from potentially getting hit by a bad shot by a golfer. We need to use common sense when working around golfer as well as other workers. If people are teeing off and you are working beyond the landing area than you can continue to work while they are teeing off. However, if you are in the landing area or you are on a Par 3 then you need to move out of the way while people tee off. Basically if you are in the direct line of fire, than you need to get out of the way. We also need to respect golfers while working around the greens. If you are using equipment that is loud then you need to back away from the green and shut your machine off until they are finished putting. If you are doing a job such as raking bunkers by hand that is not a noisy operation, then you need to keep working and move on as quickly as possible

Overtime Policy:

Statement of Policy: Overtime procedures shall be established which will ensure adequate staffing while recognizing management’s responsibility to be fair in the treatment of employees. Such procedures shall encourage employees to volunteer for overtime and shall provide for mandatory overtime only when qualified volunteers are not available.

Purpose: To ensure work is completed in a safe and effective manner and within allocated time frames, budget and to required standards of The Ridge at Manitou Golf Club. Mandatory overtime may be invoked on any employee.

Procedure: Under certain circumstances, supervisors may request employees to work longer hours than the maximum or during times when they would otherwise be off work. Recourse to overtime is

sometimes unavoidable due to operational requirements or special circumstances. Although it may not be possible for supervisors to eliminate overtime work or to always offer it on a voluntary basis, The Ridge at Manitou Golf Club has made a commitment to try to limit overtime as much as possible; working within the team environment contributing to the achievement of departmental goals. All reasonable efforts, meaning the supervisor shall seek persons who volunteer to work extra time from all available qualified staff or those who are working at the time of the unforeseen emergent circumstance or to contact all qualified employees who have made themselves available to work extra time.

Responsibilities tend to have deadlines which may require working as many hours as it takes to get the job done. Management has the right to determine whether mandatory overtime is necessary, and, in the absence of contract language to the contrary, mandatory overtime may be deemed necessary. Requested employees may need to work a reasonable amount of overtime, irregular shifts including weekends and holidays as determined by the supervisor/Department head in order to achieve work completion. Employees acknowledge an understanding of the company’s policy regarding mandatory overtime. Failure to work any required overtime may lead to discharge.

Overtime may be mandatory when requested however certain mitigating circumstances, such as illness or death in the employee’s immediate family, will be an exception.

Overtime is not a benefit and will only be authorized when business demands it. In no instance will overtime be authorized solely at the request of the employee or awarded as a privilege. The Ridge at Manitou Golf Club retains sole discretion to determine when employees must work overtime; ensuring daily/weekly task commitment is completed as directed.

In distinguishing between exempt and non-exempt employees for overtime pay, The Ridge at Manitou Golf Club has considered a thorough review of job descriptions to ensure that actual job duties are consistent with legislative exemption requirements under the Employment Standards Act 2000 (ESA) and represent the actual job duties being performed by the employee. Exempt employees are subject to special rules under Regulations 285/8 Part III – Exemptions re: Overtime. Your job description/duties will determine if you qualify for overtime payment

Personal and Protective Equipment/Footwear Policy:

To ensure the safety of employees, appropriate protective equipment/footwear must be worn by all persons when working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, objects piercing the sole, and where employee’s feet are exposed to electrical hazards and/or hazard assessments have deemed so.

The Ridge at Manitou Golf Club, as the employer, is ultimately responsible for worker health and safety. Health and safety is an integral part of The Ridge at Manitou Golf Club’s every day business. It is in the best interest of all employees to join together and put into practice health and safety principles in all work activities. Employees will be responsible in carrying out collective responsibility for occupational health and safety. Department heads/supervisors will provide and enforce the following personal protective equipment when required by applicable safety standards/hazard assessments: hearing protection, eye protection, hand protection, body protection, head protection and sunscreen protection.

Safety shoes are used to protect the feet against injuries from heavy failing objects, against crushing by rolling objects or against lacerations from sharp edges. Employees will need to purchase/provide their own foot protection; in the form of steel-toed work boots and/or shoes, with a steel shank to protect the bottom of the foot from puncture wounds. In wet environments, steel-toed boots that are waterproof and slip-resistant may be necessary. The hazards that you are exposed to will determine what type of foot protection is most appropriate for the job. Safety shoes must be worn at all times if deemed necessary by Department head/supervisor or where clearly marked. Boots and/or shoes that are lost, stolen or damaged will be replaced by the employee at their cost.

Employee who cannot wear safety shoes for medical reasons will need to provide their own alternative foot protection. The employee must bring a written statement from a physician indicating this prohibition and any reasonable accommodations.

General Shop Rules:

1. Horseplay or wrestling will not be tolerated in any area of the course. 2. The shop and shop yard area WILL be kept neat and tidy at ALL times. 3. When using tools, replace them to where they belong.

4. Nobody is allowed to use the mechanics tools without his permission.

5. Foul language will not be tolerated on the golf course, around the shop and the shop 6. Racist or sexist comments will not be tolerated.

7. Each employee will be assigned a locker so your boots, gloves, clothing and personal items belong in your locker, not lying around the lunchroom or hallway.

8. This is a place of business so please act in a professional and mature manner.

9. Any problems or disagreements regarding any aspect of your employment will be taken up by the Superintendent. Insubordination will not be tolerated.

10. If a problem should arise between employees, it is to be taken up with the Superintendent. 11. Any problems or conflicts between employees and golfers should be brought to the attention of

the Superintendent immediately so they can be resolved. 12. The official time is set by the punch clock.

Teamwork:

It is very important that all employees of the Turf Department work together as a team. We should be all striving for the one common goal of producing the best golf course conditions of the members and the golfing public. It is very important that each member of the team be able to communicate with each other so our common goals can be met. We would like to avoid any communication breakdowns by urging any employee to come and talk to the Superintendent about any issues that they might be having. In this manner, we may be able to resolve the problem before it escalates into a major problem which will affect the quality of our work. A team is only a strong as its weakest link. The Superintendent is very

The Ridge at Manitou

Golf Club

Job Descriptions

Turf Maintenance

Mowing Greens

1. Greens mowing duty is generally done first thing in the morning

2. Other tasks associated with the greens mowing tour may be garbage pickup, divots, ball marks and tee

blocks.

3. Before you actually start to mow, walk around the green repairing ALL ball marks, pick up any debris

which may damage the mower and checking for any blemishes or damage caused by disease. If any is noticed, please report it to the Superintendent

4. Line yourself up in the proper direction of cut and make your first pass directly over the centre of the cup.

5. Continue mowing, trying to keep your lines as straight as possible. Be sure to turn your mower in pear

shaped turns on the bluegrass, not on the collar.

6. Clean up cuts will be done every other day according to a set schedule.

7. If your mower is not cutting well, or leaving streaks, be sure to notify the Mechanic or Superintendent

immediately!

8. A clock system will be used on a four day cycle to cut the greens. Be sure that you and the other greens

mowers are mowing in the same direction on the same day.

Rear of Green 12 10 2 Example: Day 1 - 12 to 6 Day 2 - 9 to 3 Day 3 - 8 to 2 Day 4 - 10 to 4

Day 5 - start over 9 3

* This is very important to the

quality of cut and

aesthetics

of the putting surface.

8 4 6 Front of Green (Approach Shot)

9. All clippings collected from the greens will be dumped into the surrounding woods.

10. After you have finished mowing greens, your cart and mower must be cleaned and refueled immediately

Mowing Tees

1. Before you start mowing, be sure and perform a circle check on the triplex or walker. Checking for such

things as loose fuel caps, oil leaks, hydraulic leaks, and tire pressures. These tasks can be performed before operating the machinery, first thing before leaving the shop.

2. Once you have arrived at the tee, always remove the tee blocks and divot pails before cutting.

3. Make a quick inspection of the tee. Check for such things as loose debris which may damage the mower

(i.e. rocks, tee's, ect.). Also, check for any disease damage or mycelium. If you find any, inform your Supervisor.

4. Line yourself up in the proper direction of the day and start mowing. Turn your mower in the rough, not

on the surface of the tee.

5. The clock system will also be used on the tees to ensure better quality of cut.

Ball Flight to Landing Area 12 *Example: Monday - 12 to 6 10 Wed - 9 to 3 2 Fri. 8to 2 Mon. 10 to 4 9 3 8 4 6 Rear of Tee

6. Travel at a low speed when making your clean up cut. This is so you do not leave tire marks on the surface

of the tee. Clean up cuts are performed on the tee every time they are cut.

7. Be sure to replace the tee blocks correctly (see moving tee blocks).

8. G-Plex or Mower, cart and trailer must be thoroughly cleaned after each use. Fuel up you mower so it is

Mowing Collars and Approaches

*This job will be done in conjunction with mowing tees with the G-Plex and walker.

1. Before mowing, walk around the collar or apron to check for debris which may cause damage to the

mower.

2. Start mowing the apron with the G-Plex in the set direction specified on that particular day.

3. The apron width varies and will be set by the Superintendent. Please try to keep this as consistent as

possible.

4. Collars will be mowed with walkers. Start mowing the collar at the edge of the last Gplex cut in the apron.

Continue around the collar of the green until you have reached your last apron stripe on the opposite side of the apron.

5. The collars are EXACTLY one 22" mower width around the outer edge of the green.

Collars are exactly

Example: 1 mower width

Aprons Vary Set by

Superintendent

Apron

6. Once mowing is completed, be sure to fuel up your mower for the following day. Clean your mower

Mowing Fairways

* Before you start mowing be sure and make a circle check of the mower, checking for such things as loose gas caps, hydraulic leaks, tire pressure.

1. Line yourself up to cut the fairway in the proper direction on that specific day. The clock system will also

be used to cut fairways. See example below.

2. While you are mowing the fairway, be sure to keep an eye out for such things as loose debris, rocks, shoe

spikes or anything else that may damage the cutting units.

Example:

12

10 2

9 3

8 4

* The clock system on the fairways is always determined from the blue tee

deck.

6

Blue Tee

4. A clean up pass should be done every time the fairways are cut, and the direction of the cleanup cut should be alternated every time they are cut.

5. The mower should be refueled and cleaned after each use.

Mowing Rough

* Before you start the mower, be sure to do a circle check of the equipment looking for such things as loose fuel caps, hydraulic leaks, tire pressure.

1. Mowing patterns will be established by the operator on alternate schedules.

2. Once you are finished a hole, be sure that all barricades, stakes and signs are all

perfectly upright and back in position before you leave.

3. As you are mowing, keep an eye out for any debris which may damage the blades.

4. Keep the mower in the rough only. Do not travel on any bent grass areas such as

fairways and tees.

5. If the hydraulic/ temp. sensor starts to beep, shut the equipment down IMMEDIATELY

and inform either the Superintendent or the Mechanic of the problem

6. The mower must be cleaned thoroughly and refueled after each use.

Rotary and Trim Tour

* Before starting the rotary and trim tour, be sure to check the oil in the machines that require it and be sure you have ample amount of fuel with you to complete the job at hand. Remember to take enough trimming line for the trimmers to do the job.

1. All safety equipment must be worn when performing the rotary and trim tour. Safety glasses, steel toe

work boots hearing protection and long pants must be worn at all times.

2. The rotary tour consists of hand mowing around the Club house, bunkers, around tees, any area that cannot

be mowed by the rough mower or any other area designated by the Superintendent.

3. The trim tour consists of trimming in areas that cannot be hand mowed such as along fences, around trees

and any other area designated by the Superintendent. DO NOT SCAR THE BARK WHEN YOU ARE

Moving Tee Blocks

1. The person changing pins will also move the tee blocks every day unless otherwise

specified by your immediate supervisor.

2. Place one tee block down at one edge of the tee, perpendicular to the landing area.

Then take exactly five paces and place the second tee block down, perpendicular to the landing area. See example #1 below.

3. Always start at the edges of the tee deck, and never run the tee blocks directly down

the center of the tee.

4. Always alternate the tee blocks on any given day so that the blocks are not all in the

back of the tee decks on the same day, or are not all at the front of the tee decks on given day. See example #2.

Example #1: Example#2:

Placement positions for tee blocks 1 8 2 9 3 10 4 11 5 12 6 13 7 14

Tee blocks should be placed so they are perpendicular to the intended target

(i.e. the flag on the green or the middle of the fairway)

Hole Changing

* One of the biggest complaints we will receive from golfers is the position of the cup on the green. It is vital that you pay attention to your positioning to make it a fair placement for the golfers.

1. Once you get to the green, be sure to find an area that has not been used in at least 4 days and is fairly flat

2. The hole must be cut at least a flag length from the edge of the green, 5 feet from an old plug and away

from steep slopes or mounds.

3. Be sure that the flag poles are as straight as possible.

4. When replacing the plug in the old hole, be sure that the plug is EXACTLY LEVEL.

5. High plugs will scalp, burn out and DIE. Low plugs will be unsightly

6. When finished, make sure the cup cutter is sharp for the next day.

Bunker Raking

* Proper bunker raking is very important to the overall image and playability of the golf course. Before using the sandstar, do a circle check to look for hydraulic leaks, tire pressure.

1. Before you start raking the bunker, walk through it and remove all stones and weeds. If this process is

kept up with on a regular basis, this should only take a few minutes.

2. The sandstar will be used to rake the larger bunkers. The smaller bunkers will be done by hand. The

bunkers to be done by hand will be specified by the Superintendent.

3. The edges of the bunkers will be raked by hand every time the bunkers are raked.

4. There MUST be a distinct edge between the sand and the grass.

5. A 2" lip can be left in the front of the bunker (facing the green), but the back of the bunker has to have a

maximum .5" lip. See example below.

Example:

Maximum .5" lip

Maximum 2" lip

Consistent 4" of sand

6. DO NOT pull the sand up and over the edge of the grass! The edges of the bunkers must be kept neat and tidy. This will also reduce the amount of edging required for the bunkers

Terms of Employment

1. The employment period will be agreed upon by the employer and employee during the initial hiring stages

2. A set hourly wage will be agreed upon by the employer and employee prior to the start of your

employment. This wage will typically remain the same for the entire season.

3. If an employee is required to take time off with a reasonable excuse, we require at least 1 weeks notice, so

we can plan accordingly.

4. Employees are required to be in the shop at least 10 minutes before the hour to receive daily instructions.

This will be considered the official start of the day.

5. Hours will be set by the Superintendent according to the season.

6. Employees are given a 45 minute lunch break during the golf season.

7. Verbal and written warning will be given to an employee for unexcused tardiness, inadequate job

performance, abuse of equipment, not complying by shop safety rules, breech of general shop rules or breach of our outlined policies for this division.

8. If an employee receives one verbal warning, and one written warning, his/her employment at The Ridge at

Manitou Golf Club may be terminated at any time.

9. The Ridge at Manitou Golf Club Will not provide advances in pay to any employee at any time.

10. Employees of The Ridge at Manitou Golf Club are responsible for their own transportation to and from

work. As outlined in the manual, tardiness will not be tolerated.

I have read The Ridge at Manitou Golf Club's Greens Department employee manual, and agree to abide by all its rules and regulations.

Employee signature . Employer signature . Date _________________________________________