YORK COUNTY, Pa. — On a hot day, golfers at Heritage Hills Resort in York Township, York County plant their tee, widen their stance and go for the green.
Managing the golf course is Richard Green.
He’s been with the company since 2017 and is no stranger to working under the sun.
“We’ve had multiple people this summer that needed help getting off the golf course cause they’re out there and it’s like this, it’s hot, and they aren’t drinking enough fluids which is also something that I stress to my guys,” Green said.
He’s been working on golf courses since he was 16 years old and knows exactly what to look for at any time of year.
Warm weather can sometimes complicate what a golf course needs to look its best.
“When you have hot humid weather like this, you can almost count on some sort of disease developing in the thatch layer of the grass,” Green said.
Heritage Hills Resort offers more than 100 acres of golf course. So how do Green and his team of five people tackle such a big job? They start by just showing up
“I get here between 4:30 and 5:00 [in the morning] which is ahead of my crew and then we come up with a game plan for the day, take into consideration the weather and how much we’re going to need that day,” Green said.
To stay cool, Green likes to dampen a rag and put it on different parts of his body like his wrists and neck. This helps regulate his body temperature.
But no matter the conditions outside, Green and his team are ready to meet the challenge head-on.
It also helps to have a barn full of landscaping equipment.
“Every day on your golf course is going to be somebody’s first day, so you should always make it the best that it can be,” Green said.
Most days, Green is off the clock by 2 p.m.
When he is working, Green can be found all over the golf course, tending to whatever needs to be done at any given time.