4 does sound a bit extreme. Perhaps you exaggerate for literary flourish.
It would help to know what kind of turfgrass you have (I assume Poa annua) and whether there is adequate sunlight and air getting to them or whether the greens are heavily shaded. If they are Poa annua, and if they are heavily shaded, and if the soil is poorly training clay (i.e. older, push up greens) then he might be preventing summer wilt and anthracnose by letting them go on the long side. Or he might be a blooming idiot who needs a swift kick in the rear.