My club is now using technology on the back of its fairway mowers that reads moisture content. This allows us to maintain fast and firm (and brownish) fairways without the risk of widespread burnout. This is a game changer that will lead to more extended periods of our desired playing conditions. And it takes a lot of stress off the crew by taking guessing/hoping out of the equation.
Golf maintenance equipment is going to go though a phase of massive disruption. Robots. GPS directed robots. No longer will a club need to invest hundreds of man-hours cutting fairways and light rough.
The benefits are multiple:
Does not require manpower to operate.
Can mow 24-hours per day.
Fairways are always freshly mown.
No diesel required. None. Zero. Nada.
No more hydraulics, no more hydraulic leaks.
No more reels to sharpen.
Accurate mowing, as their mowing boundaries are GPS controlled.
Lighter footprint means they can cut grass when larger, traditional machines cannot.
Less compaction, and less compaction in areas where mowers tend to turn (in front of greens).
Quieter.
Perhaps with solar panels, you can charge your mowers on your own!
This has a major impact on golf course presentation. Fairways can be mown as wide as one pleases.
All those man-hours can be focused on other elements; stuff that is often neglected because of time.
In countries with high labor costs, and where it's difficult to find labor, like much of Europe, robots are going to put a serious dent in the traditional mowing equipment market.
In Iceland I watched a fleet of robotic mowers maintain the larger playing areas. There was no stripping. Loved the look.