THOMASVILLE — Inmate labor at Country Oak Golf Course is a sure bet.

One doesn’t have to worry about people showing up for work, but turnover is a concern.

Thomas County inmate crews have the Pavo Road City of Thomasville facility looking better than it has in a long time, according to a golfer and course principals.

An inmate considers the work a privilege.

Some 80 acres of the 140-acre facility are mowed weekly, but it isn’t like Saturday morning on your Snapper, golf course officials explained.

Greens grass is mowed to different heights, said Glenn Little, greenskeeper. Some grass is mowed to a precise .165 of an inch.

An irrigation system installed about 18 months ago is a key to overall greens condition, said Little.

As many as a dozen people used to perform greens work now done by inmate crews, saving a lot of taxpayer dollars.

During cold months when grass is not growing so rapidly, inmates tend to other golf course needs: Painting restrooms and a bridge, and building a new shed over a well.

“Materials are the only cost,” said Bobby Geer, prison warden.

Trusty status of inmates requires periodic supervision. Detail officers know where those prisoners are working and how long the job should take, Little explained, pointing out an inmate mowing in the distance.

Kris Sherman, a Thomasville resident, has played the course several times weekly for about four years. He sees an “enormous” difference since inmates began maintaining the course.

“The shape of the course is better than I’ve ever seen it,” Sherman said. “ ... It seems more tended to than in the past.”

He said the irrigation system helped, but routine maintenance is much better.

Sherman moved here from New Orleans after The Big Easy was decimated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A retired lead guitarist, Sherman plays funk and rhythm and blues.