News and Updates

Meet Bender, our new robotic mower. For decades, golf course superintendents have been looking forward to the day when autonomous mowers become a normal part of our operation. Over the last ten years, I have been fortunate enough to see several prototypes but until now, none of them have ever made it to market. They were either too unreliable, cost prohibitive, or simply lacked the necessary functionality.
 
Husqvarna has been working on this series of machines for years, but it was just introduced into the US market last February. Our team was able to view it firsthand at the Golf Industry Show over the winter and then we had a one-day demo in late April. After seeing promise in the machine, we purchased one unit to see how it functioned over an extended period.

This version of the “automower” can mow two acres of turf in 24 hours. It cuts for approximately three hours and then returns to its charger for 30-45 minutes. It then goes back to where it left off and continues to mow.

We dictate where and when it mows using GPS mapping. We simply map areas we want it to go and areas we want to stay out of, along with the transport paths that we want it to use to get to these spots. We can set a schedule so it will cut in-play areas at night and work the perimeters during the day. Currently it is set up to mow around the first tee every night. It will mow the other secondary areas 3-4 times per week. These areas include the front entrance field, a small section of the rough in front of one fairway, the lawn between the pool and the fourth green and fifth tee. Perhaps one of the best features on these machines is their ability to change heights on their own. To test this, we are also having it mow the walk path from the first tee complex down to the fairway each night as well.
 
When we purchased the machine, our sales rep was extremely transparent with us with the fact that there are still glitches in the software and that Husqvarna is actively working through those. You may the see the machine stalled out looking for a satellite or in a position where it did not quite make it back to its charging station. We are an early adopter and working closely with their software team to help improve these units for the future.

So where do I see this going? The small machine you see here is their most basic commercial model. They have one that can do steep slopes and a larger mower that can do six acres a day. In the next three to five years, I can see a fleet that combines all these models that cut the vast majority of the intermediate and primary rough on the golf course every 24-48 hours. A little farther into future, I envision the machines expanding into fairways and even range pickers.

The improvement in the appearance as well as the day-to-day consistency of the golf course would be dramatic. Combine this with the labor and fuel savings and it’s easy to see why superintendents have been anxious to incorporate these types of machines into their daily maintenance programs.