from the use of ribbed (Wiele) rollers. Therefore, be very careful to avoid this damage and consider replacing grooved rollers with smooth ones during periods of environmental stress. Remember that the effects of all types of damage are accentuated during very wet or dry (stressful) conditions.
Finishing touch
There is probably very little to tell between the cutting quality of triple mowers compared to pedestrian mowers. However, the surface is considered to be markedly different, with hand mowers generally providing improved ball roll at a slightly higher cutting height due to their rolling action. Hand mowing allows you to mow and roll in one operation. Variance in the weight and ground pressure of different machines will result in different levels of polishing. Hand mowing also gives the greenkeeper a better connection with the growing environment. If you are interchanging between hand and triple mowing then use a prism gauge to ensure that the actual cutting height is consistent between them.
Greenkeeping is about the greenkeeper
The traditional guidelines to favour the finer grasses were always to mow at 5mm in the summer and 8mm in the winter. This rule was often (and sometimes still is) stuck to too rigidly. Such a rule constrains the greenkeeper and can compromise playing quality. We don’t compromise on playing quality, so some flexiblity is required. Find your optimal mowing level
that provides the desired playing quality and also allows the finer grasses a chance to develop. This is the job of the greenkeeper, not the text book. You can bring speed, smoothness and trueness with topdressing, brushing and rolling, so you don’t have to worry too much.
Your precise touch
Put simply, your mowing strategy should concentrate on selecting the mowing height that offers optimal playing quality without causing the turf to weaken or thin. The height of cut should vary throughout the year in accordance with growth, surface and weather conditions. During strong growth, you may afford to cut a little lower, but be sure to raise up and alleviate all forms of pressure during times of environmental stress such as cold weather, drought or cold winds. Use rolling, topdressing and brushing to keep the golfers happy whilst easing the pressure on the turf to allow the finer grasses to come.
Measuring stick
We should all take the time to objectively monitor the performance of our turf. It will keep us honest and make us better turf managers. This means use the stimpmeter to monitor pace regularly to see if you are measuring up to your ideal. You can keep this information within your team if you don’t want to muddle the golfer.
The golfer doesn’t need to know the green speed to enjoy their game. They know what a good surface is without a number
(unless of course they are having a really bad day).
Can you see?
The real test of greenkeeping should not be “how low can you go?” but “how high can you mow and still produce the ideal playing surface?” Mowing too low will take you away from your true ideal by preventing the more desirable species from developing. The real measure of the greenkeeper is to be in charge of playing qualities and sward composition. Now, that
We should all take the time to objectively monitor the performance of our turf. It will keep us honest and make us better turf managers
is skilful greenkeeping. The mower is the fundamental greenkeeping instrument and you need to know how to play it. Prepare your surfaces with all the available operations and don’t just over-rely on the obvious one.
There is no need to be blind about this. “How high?” is the question.
Richard and Henry are advisory agronomists STRI. They may be contacted by email at
info@stri.co.uk for feedback (Subject: Turf Advice).
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