Working in Golf Course Maintenance is what we do – but we need to understand what that means. What does it mean to maintain a golf course?
從事高爾夫球場場務維護是我們的工作 – 但我們需要了解這是什麼意思。維護高爾夫球場是什麼意思？
Traditionally, golf courses were built where it was convenient for them to be built. There was not the ability to move the earth to build mounds, deep bunkers, or raised greens. They had to be built where the natural land allowed for them to be built. These golf courses generally require little maintenance because they are natural to the land. None of the golf courses in Taiwan fit this mold. They all have to be maintained because they are not natural to the area. They are not built on sites that have slow growing turfgrass, they are built in the jungle. If maintenance does not occur, the jungle will take over – that is nature. Because of this, more work must be done to maintain a golf course to an acceptable standard.
傳統上，高爾夫球場會建設在方便建造的地方。那時沒有能力移動地表來建造土丘、深砂坑或抬升的果嶺。它們必須建在自然的大地允許能夠建造的地方。這類高爾夫球場通常需要很少的場務維護，因為它們對大地來說是天然的。台灣沒有一座高爾夫球場是符合這種模式的。它們都必須加以維護，因為對於當地區域來說它們並不是天然的。它們不是建造在草坪草緩慢生長的地方，而是建造在叢林之中。如果沒有場務維護，就會被叢林取代 – 這就是大自然。因此，就必須做更多的工作才能將高爾夫球場維持在可接受的標準。
Maintaining a golf course in the jungle is hard. Nobody denies that, but it must be completed. There are many different methods and ways to carry out the work in golf maintenance, somethings make it easier, somethings make it harder. It is hard to know what those things are, that is why it is important to research, gain experience, and ask other professionals what they suggest.
在叢林生態中維護一座高爾夫球場是困難的。沒有人否認這一點，但這是必須完成的工作。要執行高爾夫場務維護工作有許多不同的方式和作法，有的讓工作更容易，有的使其更困難。這些方法是不易辨別的，這就是為什麼進行研究、獲取經驗以及詢問其他專業人士的建議很重要。
To maintain a golf course means to set up the golf course as consistently as possible. This means that the bunkers should play the same, the depths of the sand in them should be the same. The greens should roll the same, one shouldn’t be bumpy, while the other smooth. This means that the tees need to be level, a golfer should not have to hit their tee shot while standing on a slope. The sprinkler heads need to be raised so the balls don’t fall on top of them, forcing the golfer to take an unplayable lie. These are all examples that I’ve seen that are all too common, that all have to do with maintenance.
維護高爾夫球場，代表儘可能一致地設置高爾夫球場。這意味著在砂坑擊球應該都是一樣的，砂坑內砂的深度也應該都是一樣的。果嶺上球的滾動應該是一樣的，而不是一個果嶺會使球彈跳，另一個卻是平滑滾動的。這也代表發球台需要保持平整，高爾夫球友不應該站在斜坡上開球。噴灌噴頭位置需要抬高，這樣球才不會掉在噴頭的正上方，使得球友處於一個無法擊球的位置。這些都是我見過非常常見的例子，而且這些都與場務維護有關。
The biggest lesson to teach with maintenance is that things need to be consistent. If you are mowing the greens today, ALL the greens need to be mowed. If you are spraying the greens today, ALL the greens need to be sprayed. If you’re topdressing the tees, ALL the tees need to be topdressed. Everything should be done consistently. A consistent golf course is much more enjoyable to play and a lot easier to manage. Please remember this when planning your daily works.
教導場務維護最大的重點是作業都要保持一致。如果您今天要修剪果嶺，那所有的果嶺都要修剪。如果您今天要施作噴灑果嶺，那所有的果嶺都要施作噴灑。如果您要在發球台進行鋪砂，那所有的發球台都要鋪砂。一切都應該一致地完成。一座整齊一致的高爾夫球場打起來是更讓人享受的，也更容易管理。在規劃您的日常工作時請記住這一點。
Maintenance means “The process of preserving a condition or situation.” Lets break that down. “The process” is a step-by-step procedure on how to go about doing a task. “Preserving a condition or situation” is what the process is trying to achieve. Firm, fast course conditions are what we are trying to preserve. A great golfing experience is the situation we are trying to preserve. It is work, and the work must be done. If any steps of the process are forgotten or neglected – it makes it much harder to preserve conditions and golfing situations.
場務維護的意思是“保存某一環境條件或情況的程序”。讓我們分解說明一下。“程序”是如何完成一項任務的逐步流程。“保存某一環境條件或情況”是此程序試圖達成的目標。堅實、快速是我們要努力保存的環境條件。一個很棒的高爾夫體驗是我們要努力保存的情況。這是工作，而工作就必須完成。如果此程序的任何一個步驟被遺忘或忽視 – 這會使得保存環境條件和擊球情況變得困難許多。
Always try to remember what you are trying to achieve: you are trying to “maintain” a golf course. You are trying to create the best playing conditions you can to the golfers to create the best experience for them.
始終試著記住您要達成的目標：您正在“維護”高爾夫球場。您正在努力為高爾夫球友創造出您能做到的最好的擊球條件，讓他們獲得最好的體驗。