Maintaining a golf course lawn is a bit more involved than pulling the mower out of the garage and “checking things out.” There are several complex and interesting ways to mow a fairway, all of which require a bit of skill, a bit of planning, and a lot of time and practice to get right.
The fairway is the most important part of any golf course; it’s important to keep it in the best possible condition and it’s even better if you can make it look good too. Take a look at some of these ideas on golf course fairway mowing patterns for better aesthetics and long-lasting grass.
Cross Section or Checkerboard Pattern
One of the most popular cut patterns is the cross cut. Responsible for the beautiful checkerboard look that golfers love, crosscutting is a reasonably simple and effective way to mow fairway grass.
To achieve this look, a lawnmower operator moves in one direction across the street and then perpendicular to the first direction across the street. The checkerboard look comes from the blades of grass being pushed down in the direction the mower is traveling, presenting golfers with the illusion of light and dark grass.
Crosscutting is one of the most aesthetically pleasing ways to maintain your lawn, but the constant turning of lawn mowers required to maintain the look can really wear down your lawn. The operator must be very careful not to cause damage while cutting the lawn.
Longitudinal cut pattern
Another popular pattern commonly seen on fairways, the cut-to-length pattern makes fairways appear longer with strips of dark and light grass extending between the green and the tee. Easier to create than the crosscut pattern, longitudinal pattern fairways are made by simply mowing the grass from tee to green and back to create striped ‘paths’ in the grass.
However, some golfers might argue that the longitudinal pattern has a more adverse effect on play, as the turf bent towards the tee offers more resistance against the ball as it rolls down the course. Using multiple mowers to mow the course at once from tee to green without creating the fairway pattern is also an option, although it is more expensive or time consuming.
It is also important to note that the fairway pattern should be reversed each time it is cut to keep the blades of grass as vertical as possible. Service and maintain your lawnmower regularly, make sure the cutting height is consistent, and try to hire an operator familiar with the machinery for best results.
