Changing Reels on Greens Mowers

This winter the golf course mechanic, Brett, has been doing preventative maintenance on all of our equipment.  Those tasks range from changing engine and hydraulic oil to changing bearings on cutting units. The mowing reels on the greens mowers are being replaced as well.  

Below is a picture of the old reel above and the new reel below.  There is a 1/4" difference in the diameter of the reel.  That doesn't sound like much but when you're talking about mowing heights below 1/8", that's a lot.  

One of the things this causes is for the old reels to become less aggressive.  Since the reel is smaller the bedknife it cuts against must be raised up to contact the reel.  This creates a more obtuse angle between the bedknive and the green, which makes the cut less aggressive.  A less aggressive cut can cause more thatch, more grain, and a lower quality of cut that lowers the putting quality of a green.

Each cutting unit cost around 330 dollars to replace and there are 3 sets of 3 cutting units. Around 3,000 dollars may seem a lot for blades on a mower but when it comes to the difference in putting quality, it's worth every penny.  We monitor the wear on each unit and rotate them to keep the units cutting consistent to the others.

Note the small cutting portion of the top units are worn off.  This affects the angle of cut as well as friction with the bedknife.

Tree removal on 6 green.

This coming Monday, 3 pine trees will be removed on the left side of 6 green.  These particular trees are causing morning and late afternoon shade on the left side of the green.  They are also causing long intervals of shade during the winter months when the sun travels at a lower angle (see pic below).  There are other trees along the left side of the green that are shading the green but we are going to start with the removal of three of the pines next to the bunker that cause the most shade.

This fall shade weakens the left side of the green, slows the late season growth, and doesn't allow it to store enough energy to make it through the winter.  That's why it always seems like we're starting over every year, because the bermudagrass doesn't make it to the next.

Picture taken at 1:00 pm in the first week of December

Along with removing these trees, the over hanging trunk of the pine closer to the tee box will be removed and a large oak limb to help clear the path on the left side for those golfers that fade the ball off the tee.