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Mowing & Grooming
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Tuesdays are regarded as "Maintenance Days" where one might encounter topdressing, spraying, aerifying, etc.
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The staff at most golf course maintenance departments often hear comments like "Do you have to do all that mowing today?" or "Every time I golf here it seems like that fairway mower is always around." We understand your concerns because we play golf too. Our staff is trained to mow in numerical order before golfers have reached them. Once they encounter golfers they go to the last hole and work in a numerically descending order. This way golfers may only bump into a mower operator once during their round. They are also trained to idle down engines and stop if they are in the vicinity of a golfer making a shot. Sometimes these employees are not always aware of your presence so please attract their attention. Baker Hill employees take great pride in their work and a casual greeting adds to their day.
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 GREENS - Greens must be mowed at least six days per week. This is the first step in day to day consistency. Mowing frequency also promotes dense turf thereby slowing the encroachment of weeds. Our mowing heights on greens will approach 1/8 inches. The best possible putting surfaces only come by using hand greens mowers. Groomers may be attached to them to help keep grain from developing. Mowing in different directions each day also helps with grain control. It takes 3 hours for 4 employees to mow greens each morning. Prior to tournaments we may also roll the greens for faster speeds. Regular use of rollers however, will increase the need to aerify greens more frequently. There are many factors that influence green speeds like weather, mowing, topdressing, fertilization, rain, etc. We will do our best to maintain consistency throughout the season. If you would like to learn more on green speeds, click here.
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 TEES, APPROACHES, COLLARS AND FAIRWAYS--Are generally mowed 3 times per week. These surfaces are mowed at 7/16" to 1/2 " cutting heights. They do require different sized equipment and mowing techniques. Fairway mowing takes 2 men 8 hours to complete the circuit. The same manpower is needed to mow tees as well.
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 ROUGHS- Are so extensive that when one circuit around the course is completed the grass has usually grown enough to start over again immediately. We have multiple heights of cut and terrain for our roughs and likewise have different machines for each task. The primary mower is 4 wheel drive with five articulating decks. Other riding equipment is used to go around tees and greens. The most laborious task is "flymowing" the roughs around our steep bunker bankings. An intermediate rough is also employed around each fairway so that the penalty for "just missing a fairway" is not so harsh.
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