Golf Digest Asks Supers About Fairway Moving Patterns

[JJShanley]

Grassroots Issues: Striping It
Does it matter the way a fairway is mowed?

[Tom Bacsanyi]

Striping 12-6 is most efficient for amoeba shaped fairways, half and half for traditional fairly symmetrical fairways.  Varying the direction of stripe to avoid grain is pointless in my opinion, in that case you should just stripe 12-6 opposite the next mow.  I always like the half and half look best, but with the amoeba fairway shape of many of the more modern layouts it looks weird as the center grain line will end up wobbling all over the place.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Striped fairways is massively more popular with the majority of golfers over half n half. I love half n half but it is a minority opinion.

[Jon Wiggett]

Striped fairways is massively more popular with the majority of golfers over half n half. I love half n half but it is a minority opinion.

Hi Adrian,

I thought maybe you had died but good to see you back posting. When you say striped do you mean diagonal or straight up and down? I have been toying with striping lengthways but not diagonal as it takes too long to mow.

Tom,

generally with half/half you will find the mowing pattern will give a reasonably stable line in the middle in my experience.

Jon

[Adrian_Stiff]

Jon - I am just real busy in the summer so am a Winter poster really, unless we get lots of rain.

I think any stripe is what the majority like, probably diagonal so crosscut in both directions to produce diamonds is most popular. I am just hoping 'striping up the rough' is a minor opinion too. Up and down in straight lines looks much better to me than following the fairway pattern so the stripes are wiggly but maybe some prefer that way.

What machine do you have?

[Jon Wiggett]

Same for me Adrian, no time in the summer alas. I have a JD3235c

Jon

[MClutterbuck]

This question was discussed extensively in other posts, including this one.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,57422.0.html

My thoughts:

I have gone through this and many other postings where mowing patterns are discussed. Agronomical, wear and tear, aesthetic, tradition and even playability points of view abound and the answers are probably not even the same for different grasses. What I have noticed, is that most positive comments are received on pictures where there is no discernible mowing patterns. I notice that with Bandon, NGLA, and many Scotish links.

To me no mowing pattern on fairways and rough is certainly the best aesthetically and I believe most people like this look. I also believe it offers the best playability. I dont see why half and half is fair if we believe roll is affected, as well as chipping.

M

[noonan]

Count me for half and half

[Adrian_Stiff]

Same for me Adrian, no time in the summer alas. I have a JD3235c

Jon

We use the 3235 for fairway mowing, great mower and great for stripes, not really the right machine for wide fairways, but if you are wide and only have 9 holes I guess it mitigates that. We have a 7 gang dedicated Jacobsen mower, thats fast and great for width. Kesmac 9 gangs are worth a look as well but shite for stripes.

[Andrew Buck]

This question was discussed extensively in other posts, including this one.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,57422.0.html

My thoughts:

I have gone through this and many other postings where mowing patterns are discussed. Agronomical, wear and tear, aesthetic, tradition and even playability points of view abound and the answers are probably not even the same for different grasses. What I have noticed, is that most positive comments are received on pictures where there is no discernible mowing patterns. I notice that with Bandon, NGLA, and many Scotish links.

To me no mowing pattern on fairways and rough is certainly the best aesthetically and I believe most people like this look. I also believe it offers the best playability. I dont see why half and half is fair if we believe roll is affected, as well as chipping.

M

No mowing pattern simply isn't practical for 98% of the clubs that don't have a fleet of mowers to deploy each hole. 

[Jon Wiggett]

Same for me Adrian, no time in the summer alas. I have a JD3235c

Jon

We use the 3235 for fairway mowing, great mower and great for stripes, not really the right machine for wide fairways, but if you are wide and only have 9 holes I guess it mitigates that. We have a 7 gang dedicated Jacobsen mower, thats fast and great for width. Kesmac 9 gangs are worth a look as well but shite for stripes.

Adrian,

I use it for fairways, green surounds and tees but if I were to turn back the clock I would probably go with the Kesmac and a greens triplex.

Jon

[Joe Hancock]

The mowing patterns make themselves obvious when the grass is green and growing a lot. Lushness makes striping(of whatever sort) inevitable. When people say they prefer no distinct mowing pattern, they likely mean they like lean, drought tolerant turf.

[Peter Pallotta]

The mowing patterns make themselves obvious when the grass is green and growing a lot. Lushness makes striping(of whatever sort) inevitable. When people say they prefer no distinct mowing pattern, they likely mean they like lean, drought tolerant turf.

For those who might not know, amongst his many other golf-related talents Joe Hancock might be the best person around to write a book called "How to Kill your Grass and Live to Laugh About It -- A Professional's Guide to Sustainable (and Fun) Golf Course Maintenance".

I hope he does one day.

Peter