Classic mowing patterns...

[Stephen Britton]

I've read through previous threads and there seems to be mixed reactions to this mowing style. Most, almost all on this site, like the classic look, although many feel advantages obviously from being on the side of the fairway heading toward the green, some also feel the fairway looks smaller from the tee with the darker side almost looking like rough? I think that was a Johnny Miller quote?

I have some examples that I found online and on this site from Shinnecock and Eastward Ho...

Any feedback on this mowing style in regards to look & playability would be appreciated, also photo examples and a list of clubs that present their tees & fairways this way year round would be helpful.

[Neil_Crafter]

Personally I don't like it. I think it looks too bitsy and makes the lighter half look like it is the only closely mown part (agree with Johnny Miller!) Rather see mower width striping myself.

[Tim Nugent]

Put me down with Neil, don't care for it.  2 reasons, 1) aesthetics, and 2) roll, by this I mean with half the fairway the grain of the grass is into you and other half is with you.

That said, stripes aren't much better from an aesthetic stand ppoint but at least roll is more consistant. 

[Carl Nichols]

Is there a cost difference? Seems like less turns should take less time (and thus labor, gas and wear and tear). 

[Harvey Dickens]

Hate to say it, but I agree with Johnny Miller.

[Patrick Hodgdon]

Stephen, they started using this mowing pattern at Interlachen Country Club in Minnesota late in the summer last year. I actually really like it and enjoyed playing it that way. I think it can help on dogleg holes at figuring out where the center of the fairway is and also can help you take dead aim. I agree that at some points the dark half looks like rough but I got over it for the reasons for liking it and it wasn't that often.

[noonan]

I like this mowing pattern.

Less gas....less time...less maintenance.

Stripes look to busy and artificial.

We need to learn how to appreciate less not more.

[David_Elvins]

I like this mowing pattern.

Less gas....less time...less maintenance.

I am feeling a little dumb as i don't understand this at all.  How does it have less gas, time and maintenance than stripes?

[Stephen Britton]

I've got to be honest, I'm a little surprised, I thought most of the guys here were anti stripes...

David,

I'm sure it doesn't suit all properties, but in my clubs case we have long narrow fairways. With long narrow fairways, this means more stripes, more picking up the reels and turning in the rough. When you mow the 50/50 cut, more time is spent reels down mowing, and less picking up reels and turning. Not to mention the wear and tear in the rough. So, in my clubs case it definitely saves time which would also equal less diesel.

[Will Peterson]

I really like the above pattern.  Its simple and classic.  I think stripes are alright, and really dislike the checkerboard pattern.

[Chris Tritabaugh]

We have mowed fairways in this manner at my club for three season. Our mowers change directions every time they mow so the definition between the two sides is almost non-existent.

The saving realized for mowing like this are massive. The turning involved in striping fairways takes longer resulting in more fuel and more man-hours. As an earlier post said the action of lifting and lowering the cutting units loads up the machine and results in more wear and tear and more fuel usage.

[Dave Greene]

Put me down as strongly in favor of the classic/two stripe mowing pattern. I think this is very appropriate for the older and more traditional courses. Less clutter and less cost to do for sure. Stripes can get very busy looking and if you also stripe the mowed rough area it starts to look like a circus tent. You would not put formal Italian topiary around an old farm house nor would you put vinyl siding on an old Stanford White house.

After we changed to the wo stripe cut on our course you can see the fairway contours much better.

Dave Greene

[Carl Nichols]

Chris-
Can you hazard a guess as to how much you'd save a year doing one vs the other?

[John Moore II]

I like this mowing pattern.

Less gas....less time...less maintenance.

Stripes look to busy and artificial.

We need to learn how to appreciate less not more.

Its none of the above. Maybe fractionally so, but you still have to turn around at the end of every pass and travel the length of the fairway with every pass. The only way you'd save money and time would be to switch from a 3 reel mower to a 5 reel mower, or a 5 reel mower to a 7 reel mower. Otherwise, its going to take pretty much the same amount of time to cut a given fairway no matter what pattern you use.

[Stephen Britton]

Its none of the above. Maybe fractionally so, but you still have to turn around at the end of every pass and travel the length of the fairway with every pass. The only way you'd save money and time would be to switch from a 3 reel mower to a 5 reel mower, or a 5 reel mower to a 7 reel mower. Otherwise, its going to take pretty much the same amount of time to cut a given fairway no matter what pattern you use.

I don't want this to turn into who’s right or who’s wrong whether it's faster or slower. I can time my mowers for myself to decide.

I'm more interested in people’s thoughts on the look and playability.

[Peter Ferlicca]

I LOVE that style.  I think some people call it half and half, I’m pretty sure there are three names for it.  IMO every course that is bordered by rough on both sides should use this style.  Also, for a strategic standpoint there is almost always a better side to be on to attack the pin.  I love the look and simplicity of it.  Don't most of the links courses over in the GB&I do this?  

[Kyle Harris]

I like this mowing pattern.

Less gas....less time...less maintenance.

Stripes look to busy and artificial.

We need to learn how to appreciate less not more.

Its none of the above. Maybe fractionally so, but you still have to turn around at the end of every pass and travel the length of the fairway with every pass. The only way you'd save money and time would be to switch from a 3 reel mower to a 5 reel mower, or a 5 reel mower to a 7 reel mower. Otherwise, its going to take pretty much the same amount of time to cut a given fairway no matter what pattern you use.

I'd love to see your hard data on this since it's pretty much all myth.

We save 10-20% time cutting this way - and that doesn't count the fact that you can cut a portion of the fairway near the tee while play is near the green on the longer holes.

Or that 2-3 mowers can team up on one fairway and move around as needed.

I always found the "grain" concept to be cute too. If your course is firm enough - it won't much matter.

[John Moore II]

I think its ok. I don't think I've ever played a course with fairway moving like that, but it looks better to me on holes where the fairway angles from the tee. Looks really good on the tees though.


Kyle: I'll take your word for it, since I recall you to be a super, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around how his is so.

[Stephen Britton]

I think its ok. I don't think I've ever played a course with fairway moving like that, but it looks better to me on holes where the fairway angles from the tee. Looks really good on the tees though.

Thanks for the feedback John.

In regards to tees, on par 3's, do you think people would tend to favor the lighter side of the pattern due to the grain going with you?

[Jim_Kennedy]

Steve,
It has saved time, and all that's related to it, at our course. No crossing pattern also means that players aren't getting in the way because the guy on the mower can move to another section of the fairway and continue working, which is another time-saver.

[Kyle Harris]

I think its ok. I don't think I've ever played a course with fairway moving like that, but it looks better to me on holes where the fairway angles from the tee. Looks really good on the tees though.


Kyle: I'll take your word for it, since I recall you to be a super, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around how his is so.

Stripes:

Square peg.

Round hole.

[John Moore II]

I think its ok. I don't think I've ever played a course with fairway moving like that, but it looks better to me on holes where the fairway angles from the tee. Looks really good on the tees though.

Thanks for the feedback John.

In regards to tees, on par 3's, do you think people would tend to favor the lighter side of the pattern due to the grain going with you?

Depending on the type of grass and mowing height, grain would be almost nothing. But yeah, I was thinking that exact thing and I think people might be more likely to hit from the lighter side. So change the mowing pattern from day to day and reduce wear on the tee.

[John Moore II]

I think its ok. I don't think I've ever played a course with fairway moving like that, but it looks better to me on holes where the fairway angles from the tee. Looks really good on the tees though.


Kyle: I'll take your word for it, since I recall you to be a super, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around how his is so.

Stripes:

Square peg.

Round hole.

I'm more confused...

[David_Elvins]

Stephen,

Sorry if this derails the topic but it has got me intrigued and I am intereted in learning.  

I mower goes from one end of the fairway to the other and then comes back and mows the other way.  How does it matter time-wise between alternate stripes and half/half.  What am I missing?  I can't see how the mower makes less turns

[Eric Smith]

Why not have it both ways: