The potential benefits are many as robotic mowers burst onto the golf scene. Chief among them were that they might help solve the labor challenges facing the turf business.
Now that robots are becoming a more normalized part of golf course maintenance operations for many, the most prevalent benefit might be that robots can be used to complete much of the mundane large-area mowing without compromising quality of cut while also allowing superintendents and their crews to focus more on labor-intensive detail work that will help improve the golfer experience.
With that ability to reassign human resources from humdrum tasks to more specialized work on a daily basis comes increased demand and expectations for improved conditions on in-play areas on the golf course.
"Oh, 100 percent that's right," said Chris Johnson, superintendent at Palmetto Bluff, a golf resort property in Bluffton, South Carolina. "It's like anything else. When you get budget or staff additions, the expectations on that return on investment is that conditions are going to improve. That's just the burden we carry. When more is given, more is expected."
Dan Meersman has a fleet of about 30 Husqvarna robots at Philadelphia Cricket Club, where for the past three years he has been using them on the lawn, tennis courts, an athletic field and parts of all three golf courses, including the majority of the primary rough.
There is a quality uptick at all levels. . . . To be honest, there will be a raising of standards. Now, every day is a Saturday from a quality standpoint.
In all, Meersman says he mows about the equivalent of an entire golf course each week with the autonomous units.
The Cricket Club is not necessarily struggling to find enough help, but using the robots allows the staff to concentrate their efforts toward higher priority, in-play areas such as greens, tees, fairways and bunkers. The quiet operation means mowing can take place overnight without bothering nearby neighbors or during the day without disrupting activities of members.
"If we mow at night, it doesn't bother the neighbors," Meersman said.
"There was a deer standing next to one. If a deer doesn't care, golfers aren't going to care."
In short, robotic mowers help Meersman and his team promote the club's mission statement that includes the following: "The Cricket Club provides preeminent recreational and social experiences for its members, their families and friends by maintaining exceptional standards in its facilities, programs, services and professional staff."
"When something comes along that helps me enhance the member experience, then I am obligated to use that," Meersman said.
Robotic mowing technology has changed dramatically since the Precise Path RG3 showed up on the trade show floor in 2009 in New Orleans. Designed for cutting putting greens, the RG3 enjoyed only moderate success before subsequent owner Cub Cadet halted production in 2020.
Since then, more than a dozen brands have burst onto the scene as manufacturers and end users have realized the real savings could be realized in maintaining larger areas while at the same time units have gotten smaller with longer run times on a charge.
Across the country at the Meadow Club in Fairfax, California, Sean Tully also is an early adopter of robotic mowing technology and as such is able to eliminate about three rotary mowings a week. He hopes to one day maybe eliminate the use of rotary mowers altogether, except for occasional emergency use.
"Right now, we're doing less than half of what they can do," Tully said. "I'm excited about the possibilities. For me, right now, we're able to remove two or three mowings a week."
The relative lack of noise allows Tully to mow after he and his team have left for the day, or before they arrive the following morning.
"We set times to run from 8 to 10 p.m. and 5 to 8 a.m.," Tully said.
Tully has since tested robotics mowers for use on fairways.
"They're only as good as what we let them do. I'm excited about the opportunity we have.
"We just keep finding more work. If we can do that, that's 45 hours to do other work."
It's like anything else. When you get budget or staff additions, the expectations on that return on investment is that conditions are going to improve. That's just the burden we carry. When more is given, more is expected.
The increased use of robotic mowing technology and resulting savings in time that allows maintenance staff to focus efforts on areas of the golf course other than fairways and rough likely will mean increased golfer expectations for conditioning.
"There is a quality uptick at all levels," Meersman said.
"To be honest, there will be a raising of standards. Now, every day is a Saturday from a quality standpoint."
Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina has about 10 robotic mowers, including some Husqvarna and some from Kress to mow common areas and large spaces around the property's hotel.
The time saved by using robotic mowers translates into increased expectations to deliver championship conditions on the golf course.
"We have to see the golf course through the eyes of the owners and members," Palmetto Bluff's Johnson said. "Part of golf maintenance in general is to enable you to have fewer excuses. We want to be able to push the envelope. That's what we do as superintendents."
Palmetto Bluff also contracts with a landscape company that uses robots. The quietness they afford allows users to mow up against and in close proximity to guest accommodations, homes and around the clubhouse with relative anonymity compared with traditional equipment.
"We mow around short-game areas and close to houses on the property and some areas around the clubhouse," Johnson said. "We use less equipment and the quality of cut is better.
"It made sense to start with robotic mowers in those areas. Robotics on greens and fairways, that's intriguing. We want to explore that."
