Part of my golf journey included working maintenance at a golf course earlier in my career.
I was fortunate enough to work at a golf course for parts of 8 seasons through high school and college and was able to learn from some of the very best in the business.
In Ohio, we had a wide range of weather. We could see anywhere from weather in the 90s to months of snow covering the ground and everywhere in between.
We had to be prepared for all conditions and the ranges of the seasons that occurred over a 365 day year.
Below, you will find a general cutting schedule that was followed.
How Often Do Golf Courses Cut Grass?
Golf courses typically cut grass 7 days a week. Different parts of the golf course will be cut more frequently than others, but to maintain a quality golf course a regular cutting schedule is followed during the prime season.
Most grass falls into the following major categories on a golf course:
- Greens
- Fairways
- Roughs
- Tees
- Fescue
Below I will break down how often each area is typically mowed at your standard public golf course.
How often are greens mowed on a golf course?
The greens are typically cut 6-7 days per week. A superintendent might decide to skip a day if there is extreme weather (heat or rain) during the prime season.
Another adjustment is sometimes skipping the clean up around the perimeter of the green as to not wear too significant of a pattern over the course of the season.
Greens will be cut at different angles that include vertical, horizontal, angled left to right and angled right to left. Some places will use a clock pattern such as 12-6, 11-5, 1-7, and 3-9.
Greens are usually mowed with a triplex mower at many places, but some of the elite places still use the single walk behind mowers.
Do golf courses roll their greens?
Yes, many golf courses will roll their greens after mowing them in the morning to create a smooth and faster putting surface for that play. The frequency of rolling will vary from 1-2 times per to 6-7 times per week.
A short cut, rolled green will often roll the fastest and create difficult conditions, but a great putting surface for the golfers. Golfers have a fascination with fast greens in America.
How often are fairways mowed on a golf course?
The fairways are typically cut between 3-4 days per week.
Some of the elite courses have an ongoing mowing process and use more a greens mower, while the typical public course is using a mower with 5 reels on it.
Much like the greens, they will also follow a rotation of cutting angles so as to not create wear patterns and to give it a different look from day to day.
A typical schedule at a public course could include cutting fairways on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They try to avoid the weekend due to the volume of play that might take place. This leaves the grass the longest on a Monday morning, where there is typically the least amount of play at many public golf courses and especially the private courses, which are sometimes closed at least on Monday mornings.
How often are roughs mowed on a golf course?
The frequency of the roughs being cut is based on several factors including:
- The desired length of the rough
- The time of the season
- How much rainfall has occurred in the past 1-2 weeks
If a course is preparing for a tournament that needs longer rough, they might go 1-2 weeks without cutting the grass. Typically the rough can be cut 1-2 times per week, depending on the length the superintendent wants to keep the grass. A course can simply keep a weekly rotation, ensuring that every rough is cut at some point that week. This leaves variable length rough throughout a golf course.
Different rough mowers might be used depending on the location of the rough. Around the greens and tee boxes can be tricky and often a smaller mower with 3 reels could be used. While the larger rough areas can be mowed with a much larger mower making the process more efficient.
How often are tees mowed on a golf course?
The tees and approaches are often cut 3 days per week.
This could be opposite of the fairways or on the same days depending on the number of workers the golf course has available. As long as the tees do not get shaggy, most golfers wouldn’t notice a major difference, but if a golf course didn’t cut a green for several days, there would be a noticeable difference.
How often are fescue areas mowed on a golf course?
Some places only cut these areas 1 time per year.
This cut might take place at the end of a golf season or right at the beginning. More golf courses have gone to these fescue areas to help eliminate costs associated with mowing (time, personnel, fuel).
This can make the golf course play more difficult, but saves the golf course money in the long run. It can also add to a good look for golf courses.
These areas are usually found far away from fairways, but can sometimes be found located close to greens and tees. The areas next to a green can make the course that much more difficult.
What Impacts The Frequency of How Often A Course is Cut?
There are several variables that include the following:
- Time of the season
- Recent amount of rainfall
- Upcoming tournaments
- Upcoming outings
- Recent temperature
The time of the season has a major impact on cutting schedules. During the early or late portions of the season, the cutting schedule could be increased or decreased. Typically, early in the season the grass could be growing at a faster rate if there is plenty of rainfall and warming weather. Late in the season, the growth could slow down, requiring less frequency.
Too much or too little rain can cause havoc on course conditions. Too much rain and it can be difficult to cut grass and too little rain can slow down the growth of the grass. Many courses use irrigation systems from water supply on a golf course from a pond, lake or river.
A final factor is upcoming tournaments or outings. Some tournaments might require certain cutting patterns, while with some outings, the golf course superintendent wants the course to look fantastic depending on the group that is playing that day.
Managing the cutting schedule at a course can be difficult and stressful.
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