Golf course lawn maintenance is a little bit more complicated than getting the mower out of the garage and giving things a ‘once over’. Mowing fairways can be complicated and require a lot of practice.
Fairways are the most crucial part of any course. It’s vital to ensure that they look good. Here are some suggestions for how to mow fairways in golf course for more aesthetics and longer lasting turf.
Cross Cut or Checkerboard Pattern
One of the most popular mowing patterns is the cross cut. Cross cut, which is responsible for golfers’ love of the checkerboard effect, is an easy and efficient way to mow fairways.
For this effect, a mower operator must move in one direction on the fairway. Next, they should go perpendicular to where the first direction is. This checkerboard effect is created by the grass blades being pulled down in the same direction as the mower moves, giving golfers the appearance of both light and dark turf.
Although the cross cut can be one of the best ways to keep your turf looking great, it is also very damaging to turf due to constant turning mowers. Operators should take extra care not to damage the turf while they mow.
Lengthwise Mowing Pattern
Another popular pattern commonly seen on fairways, the lengthwise mowing pattern makes fairways look longer with stripes of dark and light turf stretching between the green and the tee. The lengthwise pattern fairways is simpler than the cross cut. You simply need to mow the grass from the tee towards the green, and then back again. This creates ‘pathways’.
The lengthwise pattern can be more detrimental to the game than the cross cut. However, the grass that is bent towards the tee offers more resistance for the ball while it rolls down the fairway. Although it is more expensive and takes up much of the time, multiple mowers can be used to cut the fairway from the tee to the green.
To maintain grass blades upright, it’s important that fairway’s patterns are reversed each time the course is mow. To get the best results from your mower, it is important to maintain and service it regularly. Also ensure that the cut height remains consistent.