Greens Mowing Etiquette

[skipneumann]

Thanks for your responses ! This is a public course and the time is 7am. The course opens at 6:30. One of the details that makes it frustrating is the front 9 was closed when this happened... we expected all the crew members to be working on the front as that is the the part of the course that is "closed for work" This mowing occurred on the 10th hole and the other day on the 12th hole. Why are they mowing the back holes at 7am when the front is closed?

[lonewolf]

Thanks for your responses ! This is a public course and the time is 7am. The course opens at 6:30. One of the details that makes it frustrating is the front 9 was closed when this happened... we expected all the crew members to be working on the front as that is the the part of the course that is "closed for work" This mowing occurred on the 10th hole and the other day on the 12th hole. Why are they mowing the back holes at 7am when the front is closed?

Looks like you've got 2 choices.

1.) do as they suggested - 'Find another place' 2.) make peace you didn't need us to tell you that, though

[sean_miller]

The greens and aprons are mowed in order of play starting on 1 and 10.

Not if your maintenance supervisors and mowers know what they are doing and are given the necessary head start.

Spare me the condescending emoticons.

Can a good maintenance supervisor create money out of thin air for an extra greensmower then speed up global warming to get the frost off the greens before 05:00? I said (as did WUTiger) that mowing in the order of the holes takes longer. It does. The end.

[Fourputt]

Spare me the condescending emoticons.

That depends on the layout of the course, doesn't it?

As far as money goes, like I said, my home course is managed as part of a county parks and recreation district (sort of a glorified muni). The profits from the golf course are siphoned off to support other facilities and activities in the district, so we are on as tight a budget as any course. Maybe more so, as a mill levy issue was voted down 2 years ago and we have been limping along on a tax income base that is insufficient for the desired operation of the district. As a result, the income from the course where I work has become even more important to the support of the rest of the district than it was in the past. But we still have a mowing plan in place which keeps the course in top shape, but in such a way as to minimize the impact on the players. Often all that takes is proper planning, not a huge maintenance staff. If a course layout and the typical play allows for the mowing plan you suggest, then fine. However, if it means that the mower is on the 17the green when the players start, and doesn't hit the 11th until the 2nd or 3rd group of back 9 players are playing it, then you haven't accomplished the desired goal of minimum impact on play. Even our earliest players never have to putt on a green that hasn't been mowed before they get there. That should be the aim of any mowing plan. It's not as critical for the fairways and rough to be mowed as it is for the greens, so that should be the priority. No player should have to play one green that's been cut and then have the next one shaggy from a full day's growth.

[skipneumann]

In an effort to get past these unfortunate incidents, I wrote a letter of apology to the grounds crew with a copy to the owner. I apologized for my behavior on the course and said I hoped I would be welcome in the future; as I have been for the past 6 years. I went to see the pro who shared that the head groundskeeper has had many incidents in the past involving golfers. Apparently he hates golfers for ruining his course. I was told that 12 was the only green he mowed that day.. a revenge mowing just for me. Recently he moved all the ladies tees to the men's area right before a ladies group was to begin because he was mad at someone else on the course who complained... Now I realize nothing is ever going to happen until the owner does something about this guy. Is it too late to get my letter back?

[Fourputt]

Sounds to me like the superintendent needs professional psychological help. The guy has no business being in a position of responsibility if he has issues with a golf course being used for golf.

[lonewolf]

Forget about getting your letter back. If you and the owner and pro are square then I wouldn't worry. I'd bet there are plenty of people willing to replace the head groundskeeper.

[Bullitt5339]

I was the 3rd guy off this morning at my club, and I had to wait on them to finish mowing the green on #1. He purposely skipped #2, and went to #17 right next to it to let me play. I appreciated the gesture, but honestly, I'd have rather waited for him to cut #2 before I played it, because it didn't roll very well, but the ones he had already cut were perfect.

I play early on Friday mornings, and typically run into either the sprinklers still running or the grounds crew out there working. They're used to seeing me, and I'm used to seeing them and there seems to be a mutual respect. Sometimes I wait for them, sometimes they wait on me, but it's mutual and I've never had a problem with them.

[JaredSS]

Well, I just wish the greens sprinklers at my course went in descending order instead of ascending, because once you get caught behind one, you get caught in them all. Makes putting difficult and its an aggrevation!