Fairways - fair or unfair?

Ok, it's time to address fairway mowing height, their presentation and playability since the topic has been raised again recently.

We purchased an ex-demonstration fairway mower in 2015. It cost a few quid to say the least but has served to improve exponentially the quality, appearance and playability (in terms of encouraging a well struck golf shot to generate backspin and be receptive when landing on a green). 

I purposefully asked the golf club and machine supplier to provide grass boxes for the mower and the reasons for doing so are provided below:

• The grass boxes collect the grass clippings and, as a matter of fact not opinion, provide a surface that is superior in appearance as the clippings do not sit on the surface
• Removing the grass clippings will, in the long term, reduce the nutrient content in the soil. This will slow down growth which will enable us to mow them less and reduce associated costs
• Reducing the nutrient will encourage the finer grass species (bents, fescues) at the expense of the poorer grass species (poa, yorkshire fog, agricultural ryegrasses) rice the finer grass species will thrive in nutrient poor, drier soils

Currently, the fairways are presented at a mowing height of 11mm. We aim to strike a balance to please a variety of low, medium and higher handicap golfers. Ultimately, mowing them lower enables us to get on with other tasks in the knowledge that they won't have grown too much by the time we next go to mow them and also to account for weekends - when we aren't there and, more importantly, when members are playing in competitions.

This last point is important. If we mow fairways at 11mm on a Thursday and Friday (since having 2 staff does not allow the opportunity - given the level of play on a Friday - to get them all mown in one day and still complete other tasks), this will allow for some, but not too much growth over the weekend. This means that for weekend competition play, the fairways will be neither be too short nor too long and thus the balance is struck for all handicap ranges.

The photo above shows a patch of yorkshire fog on the 4th fairway. It is a broadleaf grass and prefers a higher mowing height as it can outcompete the finer grasses being able to expose more leaf surface for grass growth and sunlight. But the problem is is that its does not make for a good quality fairway grass and mowing the fairways longer - at the present time - will only serve to encourage broadleaf grasses (and weeds too) at the expense of the finer grasses.

If we are mowing at 11mm, then the photo above will only contradict this practise since there is no way on this earth that all of the fairway grasses are being cut at 11mm. They can often be rolled flat by the rollers on the fairway mower and remain unmown.

They then flourish and only serve to diminish the playing surface and playability of the fairways since playing off broadleaf grasses from a golfing point of view will lessen the chances of a clean ball strike (e.g. club to ball then take a divot). Any grass that makes contact with the club face before contact with the ball is made will encourage topspin (or a 'flier') at the expense of backspin.

What we need to do, soon, is to scarify the fairways in order to remove unwanted thatch and to thin out the broadleaf grasses. Over time, these broadleaf grasses will be discouraged and that will allow us to mow our fairways slightly longer.

So what we are doing is maintaining the fairways with a long term approach in mind.

But anybody who thinks that a golf ball should be 'teed up' on a fairway is wrong. We do not advocate punishing higher handicap golfers. It is not a case that maintaining fairways at the current mowing height is unfair to them.

Golf is a sport and as a sport it is supposed to be a challenge. Talent always rises to the top and that is part of the challenge. If golf was fair then nobody would finish second or last and everybody would win. But then the same could be said of life too.

We have a plan. It is long term. With the correct maintenance practices, the fairways will improve for everybody. But they will neither be fair or unfair.