Product Overview

Summary: This Golf Course Maintenance Safe Operating Procedure sets out clear, safe and efficient methods for maintaining greens, fairways, bunkers and surrounding grounds. It combines best-practice turf management with robust WHS controls, helping Australian clubs protect workers, contractors, members and visitors while presenting a consistently high‑quality playing surface.

Golf course maintenance involves a complex mix of machinery operation, chemical handling, early-morning work and interaction with the public, all carried out over large outdoor areas. Without a structured procedure, teams can easily drift into inconsistent practices that increase safety risks, damage turf quality, and expose the club to non-compliance with Australian WHS laws. This Golf Course Maintenance Safe Operating Procedure provides a clear, step‑by‑step framework for planning and carrying out daily, weekly and seasonal maintenance tasks in a way that is both safe and operationally efficient.

The SOP covers the full maintenance lifecycle: pre‑start inspections, traffic management around members and visitors, safe use of mowers and equipment on slopes, application of fertilisers and pesticides in line with label and legislative requirements, irrigation checks, and housekeeping standards across the course and maintenance facility. It embeds hazard identification and control into every task, supports consistent staff training and contractor management, and creates a defensible record that your club is managing its duty of care. For Australian golf courses looking to lift course presentation, minimise incidents and avoid regulatory issues, this document becomes a central reference point for how work must be done on the course, every day of the year.

Key Benefits

• Ensure consistent, high-quality course presentation through standardised maintenance routines.
• Reduce the risk of injuries associated with mowers, tractors, line trimmers and other powered equipment.
• Demonstrate compliance with Australian WHS legislation and chemical handling requirements.
• Streamline onboarding and training for new greenkeepers, casuals and contractors.
• Minimise disruption and safety risks to members and visitors during maintenance activities.

Who is this for?

• Golf Course Superintendents
• Course Maintenance Managers
• Greenkeepers and Turf Technicians
• Grounds and Garden Staff
• WHS Managers and Safety Officers
• Club Managers and General Managers
• Parks and Recreation Supervisors
• Irrigation Technicians
• Contract Maintenance Providers

Hazards Addressed

• Contact with moving parts of mowers, tractors and other powered equipment
• Rollovers and loss of control of ride-on equipment on slopes and uneven terrain
• Exposure to hazardous chemicals including fertilisers, herbicides, fungicides and pesticides
• Noise-induced hearing loss from prolonged use of powered equipment
• Flying debris and projectiles from mowing, edging and line trimming
• Manual handling injuries from lifting, raking, shovelling and equipment handling
• Slips, trips and falls on wet grass, uneven ground, bunkers and paths
• Heat stress, sun exposure and dehydration during outdoor work
• Vehicle and cart interactions with workers and the public on shared paths and fairways
• Biological hazards such as insects, snakes and contaminated water in dams or irrigation systems

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Course Areas (Greens, Tees, Fairways, Rough, Bunkers, Surrounds)
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities (Superintendent, Greenkeepers, Contractors, WHS Representative)
• 4.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and Codes of Practice
• 5.0 Required Competencies, Training and Licensing
• 6.0 Plant, Tools and Equipment Register (Mowers, Tractors, Utility Vehicles, Line Trimmers, Blowers)
• 7.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements
• 8.0 Pre-Start Checks and Daily Safety Inspections
• 9.0 Traffic Management and Interaction with Members and Visitors
• 10.0 Greens and Tees Maintenance Procedures (Mowing, Rolling, Verticutting, Topdressing)
• 11.0 Fairways and Rough Maintenance Procedures
• 12.0 Bunker Maintenance Procedures (Raking, Edging, Sand Management)
• 13.0 Garden, Tree and Shrub Maintenance Procedures
• 14.0 Irrigation System Inspection and Maintenance
• 15.0 Chemical Handling, Mixing and Application (Fertilisers and Pesticides)
• 16.0 Storage, Labelling and Disposal of Chemicals and Waste
• 17.0 Safe Operation of Ride-On and Walk-Behind Equipment on Slopes
• 18.0 Manual Handling and Use of Hand Tools
• 19.0 Environmental Management (Runoff, Noise, Wildlife and Waterways Protection)
• 20.0 Adverse Weather and Heat Stress Management
• 21.0 Incident Reporting, Near Misses and Corrective Actions
• 22.0 Emergency Procedures (First Aid, Spills, Fire, Severe Weather)
• 23.0 Housekeeping and Maintenance Facility Standards
• 24.0 Recordkeeping, Inspections and Continuous Improvement
• 25.0 Review, Audit and Document Control

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and relevant state/territory WHS Acts and Regulations
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing risks of plant in the workplace
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Hazardous manual tasks
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the work environment and facilities
• AS/NZS 4024 series: Safety of machinery
• AS/NZS 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems
• APVMA requirements for agricultural and veterinary chemical use and storage
• AS/NZS 2210: Safety, protective and occupational footwear
• AS/NZS 1337: Personal eye protection
• AS/NZS 1270: Acoustics – Hearing protectors