The perfect golf course requires a patient grounds keeping crew with a good eye for detail. Golf courses require their keepers to be perfectionists in both their work ethic and the equipment that they use. The many different types of playing surfaces, from the fairways to the roughs and sand traps, all need to be maintained differently and with special equipment. In this article, we'll look at the common pieces of golf course maintenance equipment that the grounds crew uses to keep golf courses in pristine condition.

Bunker Rakes

Bunkers and sand traps are obstacles on the golf course, but that doesn't mean that the grounds crew neglects them. The surface of the sand is very important to the golfer and his shot, just like the surface of the fairway. The most efficient way to rake a sand trap and keep those bunkers level is with bunker rakes. Bunker rakes will evenly level a sand trap without leaving deep foot prints or displacing sand. They can also have attachments like leaf rakes, spikers, brooms, blowers, and drag mats to increase their versatility. Leave the manual rakes near the bunkers for golfers -- the professional ground crew should be using powered bunker rakes.

Rough Mowers

Despite its name, the rough areas on a course need to be meticulously maintained. Having the edges of the course to a specific height is required for regulation play. Just as important as having the fairway properly trimmed, the rough areas must also follow guidelines. Rough mowers come in both self contained units as well as pull frame gang mowers and both can give a precise cut between three quarters of an inch up to three inches. In addition, quality rough mowers will have individual, outside cutting units to mow in tight spots and the corners of a course. These units are the best machines for the outside areas of a golf course.

Fairway Mowers

The most important part of the course is arguably the fairway. As with the other parts of a course, the fairway has to be precisely cut and maintained for a proper game of golf. Fairway mowers are the workhorse for a grounds crew, they come in sizes up to twelve feet in width and offer a precision cut at a minimum of a quarter of an inch up to one and three quarters of an inch. These mowers are built with the highest level of durability, reliability, and power.

A golf course maintenance crew faces many challenges that other grounds crews do not. For example, most sporting fields such as soccer and football fields are all cut to one length, do not contain special areas like bunkers, and often use artificial turf for large stadiums. The golf groundskeepers must handle the many demands of a professional golf course and require the best tools in order to do so. From bunker rakes and rough mowers, to fairway mowers and a lot of knowhow, golf course crews apply a great deal of skill to keep a course looking fantastic for players.