Field Maintenance Resources

Seasonal Field Maintenance Calendars:
Summer Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - Cool Season
Summer Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - Warm Season
Summer Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - Transition Zone

Fall Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - Cool Season
Fall Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - Warm Season
Fall Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - Transition Zone

Winter Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - Cool Season
Winter Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - Warm Season
Winter Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - Transition Zone

Spring Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - Cool Season
Spring Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - Warm Season
Spring Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - Transition Zone

Maintenance Calendars Developed by Universities:
A Turf Management Calendar for Georgia - University of Georgia
A Generic Football Field Maintenance Program - Iowa State University
A Generic Football Field Maintenance Program 2 - Iowa State University
Athletic Field Care Tips - Iowa State Univeristy
End of Season Practices for Athletic Fields - Iowa State University
Bermudagrass Football Fields - Kansas State University
Managing Fescue Football Fields - Kansas State University
Bermudagrass Polo Fields - Basic Maintenance Program - University of Kentucky
Athletic Field Maintenance Program for Overseeded Bermuda - University of Kentucky
Athletic Field Maintenance Program for Non-Overseeded Bermuda - University of Kentucky
Athletic Field Maintenance Program for Tall Fescue and Perennial Ryegrass Fields - University of Kentucky
Cool Season Grass Athletic Field Maintenance Program - University of Kentucky
Bermudagrass Athletic Field Maintenance Program - University of Kentucky
Turf Maintenance for Athletic Fields - Louisiana State University
Suggested Maintenance Calendar for Bermudagrass Athletic Fields - Louisiana State University
Fall Turf Maintenance - University of Massachusetts
General Guidelines for Athletic Field Maintenance of Cool Season Grasses - University of Missouri
Maintenance Guidelines for a Bermudagrass Athletic Field - University of Missouri
Bermudagrass Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - North Carolina State University
Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar - North Carolina State University
Standard Guide for Maintaining Sports Fields and Recreational Turf in Ohio - Ohio State University
Turfgrass Management of Bermudagrass Football Fields - Oklahoma State University
Building and Maintaining Soccer Fields in Indiana - Purdue University
Bermudagrass for Athletic Fields in Southern Indiana and Southern Illinois - Purdue University
Maintaining Athletic Fields - Rutgers University
Bermudagrass Athletic Field Management Calendar - University of Tennessee
Maintenance for Sand Base Fields - Washington State University
Maintenance for Soil Base Soccer Fields - Washington State University
Maintenance Calendar for Cool Season Turfgrasses in Virginia - Virginia Tech
Maintenance Calendar for Warm Season Turfgrasses in Virginia - Virginia Tech


Field Management Bulletins:
Sports Field Management Practices - Athletic Field Management in the Spring
Sports Field Management Practices - Preparing a Field for Winter
Field Management During a Drought
Strategies for Managing Heavily Used Fields
Thatch Management
Sprigging Bermudagrass
Football Practice Techniques that Help Minimize Field Wear
8 Steps to an Easy Field Facelift
Baseball/Softball Safety and Maintenance Checklist
Football/Soccer Safety and Maintenance Checklist
Understanding Soil Tests
Compost Applications to Sports Fields
Sports Field Painting Tips
Effective Water Use
Baseball Field Maintenance - A General Guide for Fields of All Levels
Baseball Field Maintenance - Translated to Spanish


University Publications on Cultural Practices:
Optimizing Cultural Practices to Improve Athletic Field Performance - Michigan State University
Basic Turfgrass Requirements - University of Tennessee
Winter Management and Recovery Tips to Optimize Athletic Field Safety and Performance for Spring Sports - Virginia Tech

Turfgrass Mowing - Kansas State University
Mowing Turfgrasses - Penn State University
Mowing - University of Tennessee
Mowers - University of Tennessee

Recycling Turfgrass Clippings - Penn State University
Minimizing Waste Disposal: Grass Clippings - Rutgers University
Mowing to Recycle Grass Clippings: Let the Clips Fall Where They May! - Virginia Tech

Rolling - University of Tennessee

Athletic Field Coring and Topdressing Table - Iowa State University
Aeration of Turfgrass Areas - Penn State University
Cultivation - University of Tennessee
Topdressing - University of Tennessee

Athletic Field Seeding Schedule - Iowa State University
Pre-germinated Divot Mix for Repairing Athletic Fields - Iowa State University
Turfgrass Seed and Seed Mixtures - Penn State University
Overseeding Bermudagrass Sports Fields - University of Kentucky


University Publications on Field Issues:
Athletic Field Traffic Survey and Quality Assessment - Iowa State University
Grass System Response to Traffic and Recovery - Iowa State University
Spring Renovation of Traffic Damaged, Weed Infested Football and Soccer Fields - University of Kentucky
Sports Turf Traffic - How Much is Too Much? - University of Kentucky
Maximizing the Durability of Athletic Fields - North Carolina State University

Does Fungicide Usage Increase Thatch Accumulation in Turf? - University of Kentucky
Thatch Control in Lawns and Turf - University of Minnesota
Thatch Prevention and Control - University of Nebraska
Thatch Management in Turf - Rutgers University
Thatch - University of Tennessee

Managing Turfgrass in the Shade in Oklahoma - Oklahoma State University
Growing Turf Under Shaded Conditions - Penn State University


Recordkeeping:
Staying organized and maintaining accurate records for all aspects of your facility is essential for a successful program.  John Netwal, CGCS, Director of Operations at North Scott Community School District, has created extensive records to keep track of field maintenance, equipment, budget, and employees.  Listed below are examples of his records accompanied by worksheets you can adapt to your facility.

Field Maintenance Resources:

Daily Work Records for Sports Fields (adaptable to your facility)
Keep track of the total hours spent daily on each maintenance activity using this resource.  The document is set up to do the calculations for you.

Activity Log (adaptable to your faciltiy)
This document keeps a record of the date, maintenance activity performed and any special notes associated with that activity.

Monthly Work Records for Sports Field (adaptable to your facility)
Keep track of the total hours spent monthly on each maintenance activity using this resource.  The document is set up to do the calculations for you.

Field Maintenance Costing Spreadsheet Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Field Maintenance Costing Spreadsheet (adaptable to your facility)
This document conveniently keeps a record of all maintenance activities, the man hours and labor costs involved, and necessary products and their cost.  The document is set up to do the calculations for you so you can see what each activity costs and the final total annual maintenance cost.  Be sure to fill in the highlighted Labor Cost Per Hour to determine your total Man Hour Cost, and the highlighted Field Size to determine your Cost Per Square Foot.

Fertility and Agronomic Plan Example (For North Scott Community School District)
Fertility and Agronomic Plan Spreadsheet (adaptable to your facility)
Stay organized with this spreadsheet, which keeps a month-by-month record of fertility products used on each sports field.  Keep track of field size, products, costs, and total amount of nutrients applied to each field.  The document is set up to do the calculations for you.

Chemical and Fertilizer Application Records (adaptable to your facility)
Keep a complete, organized list of all chemical and fertilizer applications with this easy-to-use record that lists the applicator, weather conditions during application, and the purpose for treatment.

Plant Growth Regulator Application Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Plant Growth Regulator Cheat Sheet (adaptable to your facility)
Keep track of your plant growth regulator applications.  This sheet lists field dimensions, application equipment information, and appropriate application rates so you know exactly what to expect and how much product to apply to each field.

Product Order for All Fields Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Product Order (adaptable to your facility)
Use this document to determine the amount of each product needed for each of your fields.  The document is set up to do the calculations for you so you can get a grand total of each product that will be needed for the year.

Sports Field Product Order Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Product Order (adaptable to your facility)
Use this document to keep track of the products you order each year.  The table allows you to list the vendor, product, product quantity, and unit cost.  The document is set up to do the calculations for you, so all you need to do is enter the quantity and unit cost to determine the total cost for each product and the total cost per year.

Equipment Records

Preventative Maintenance Log Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Preventative Maintenance Log (adaptable to your facility)
Record maintenance on each piece of equipment.

Rolling Stock Equipment List Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Rolling Stock Equipment List (adaptable to your facility)
Keep an up-to-date inventory on each piece of equipment. This document allows you to list serial numbers, suppliers, costs, date received, estimated lifespan, and estimated replacement date.

Ten-Year Equipment Replacement Plan Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Ten-Year Equipment Replacement Plan (adaptable to your facility)
Determine when each piece of equipment in your inventory will need to be replaced. Keep track of the quantity and cost for each year using this spreadsheet. The document is set up to calculate the Total Cost for you each year.

Equipment Replacement Cycle Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Equipment Replacement Cycle (adaptable to your facility)
Determine the time frame in which each piece of equipment will need to be replaced. This spreadsheet lists each piece of equipment, average hours used per year and the total hours expected each year.

Budget Resources

Budget Worksheet Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Budget Worksheet (adaptable to your facility)
This worksheet provides a comparison of the previous budget year to the current budget year. It provides a brief analysis of items in the budget and why there may be an increase in cost from the previous year.

Department Budget Summary Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Budget Summary (adaptable to your facility)
List month-by-month costs and the document will calculate the total for each item in the budget, total for the month, and your total for the year.

Budget Justification Worksheets Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Budget Justification Worksheets (adaptable to your facility)
This provides a detailed analysis of costs associated with each item in the budget. You can break costs down month-by-month to get a calculation for the total annual cost.

Employee Records

Salary Summary, Overtime, and Benefits Projections Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Salary Summary, Overtime, and Benefit Projections (adaptable to your facility)
Keep a month-by-month record for each employee’s salary/wages, overtime, and benefits. This document will calculate monthly and annual totals.

Salary Projection Worksheet Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Salary Projection Worksheet (adaptable to your facility)
Keep track of employee positions, date of hire, current earnings, and increase information.

Salary Survey Form Example (for North Scott Community School District)
Salary Survey Form (adaptable to your facility)
Keep track of employee wages and benefits with this Salary Survey Form.


Calculations and Calibration:

Practical Math for the Turfgrass Professional - University of Arkansas
Calibration of Equipment for Applying Fertilizers and Pesticides to Turfgrass - Auburn University
Calibrating Sprayers and Spreaders for Athletic Fields and Golf Courses - University of Missouri
The Calibration of Turfgrass Boom Sprayers and Spreaders - North Carolina State University
Calibrating Your Fertilizer Spreader - Penn State University

Topdressing Estimator
Determine the amount of topdressing needed for each field by filling in the highlighted "Depth in inches" and "Field sq. ft." The calculation is already set up to give you the tons of sand needed per field.
The amount of sand needed for a trench can also be calculated by filling in the highlighted "Trench cubic ft."