In the modern golf era, mowing has been one of the most time- and labour-intensive jobs in course management. Now, however, the rise of fully autonomous mowers is redefining turf maintenance.
As this new technology becomes an everyday solution to maintain fairways and roughs, we explore the range available from Toro, the benefits associated with autonomous mowing and how they integrate into general club infrastructure.
Toro’s range of autonomous equipment
Toro’s autonomous journey began with GeoLink technology on the Multi Pro 5800 sprayer, offering GPS-guided precision. That foundation has expanded to include the Greensmaster eTriFlex 3360 with GeoLink Mow, the Turf Pro mower series and the Range Pro for automated ball collection.
Each product in the range is designed to meet specific demands on the course. The Greensmaster eTriFlex 3360 is an autonomous mower ideal for intensive fairway maintenance, using proven Toro cutting units for high-quality performance. The Turf Pro excels at routine mowing across large areas with quiet, efficient operation, and the Range Pro works alongside it collecting balls from the range.
This coordinated way of working, controlled remotely through a mobile device, allows greenkeeping staff to reallocate their skills and time to more specialised tasks – enhancing productivity without compromising on the human expertise that’s essential to course care.
What are the benefits of autonomous turfcare equipment?
Autonomous mowers are rapidly transforming course maintenance, offering a wide range of valuable advantages. These include:
Exceptional mowing consistency: With accuracy to around 1cm, autonomous mowers follow optimised routes that eliminate gaps, overlaps and operator error. The result is a more consistent and uniform turf finish across the entire course.
Higher productivity over large areas: A single team member can oversee several autonomous units simultaneously, allowing clubs to maintain more turf in less time.
More efficient use of staff resources: Because autonomous machines require minimal supervision, greenkeepers can shift their focus from repetitive mowing tasks to more specialised work that benefits from their expertise and decision-making.
Quiet, flexible operation: Electric-powered autonomous mowers run with extremely low noise levels, making early-morning or overnight mowing possible without disturbing golfers or local wildlife.
Reliable, repeatable turf quality: Once mowing patterns and settings are saved, the system consistently delivers championship-level results.
Preparing for automation
While autonomous mowing clearly represents the future of turf management, integrating it into your venue requires some initial planning. With Reesink’s support, the setup process is straightforward — and once the infrastructure is in place, additional units can be added with ease.
1. Strategic power placement and charging infrastructure
Charger placement is directly influenced by how the machines operate. For example, Toro Turf Pro robotic mowers typically work in cycles of operating, charging and operating again, with run times of roughly 110 minutes depending on grass length, terrain and cut height.
Lee Rowbotham, GeoLink and Digital Specialist at Reesink, explains: “With approximately 110 minutes of operating time, Turf Pro mowers need strategically positioned power sources so one or two chargers can support multiple fairways. It’s a future-focused investment: once the infrastructure is installed, your course is ready to benefit from robotic mowing for years to come.”
Key considerations:
● Possible electrical trenching along cart paths or course boundaries
● Chargers positioned discreetly but with easy access
● Ensuring sufficient power capacity for multiple chargers and future expansion
● Placing stations strategically to minimise machine travel and energy use.
2. Satellite mapping and digital course planning
Before autonomous mowing can begin, the course must be digitally mapped. Reesink assists clubs by:
● Utilising satellite imagery
● Creating polygons to define fairways and mowing zones
● Tagging hazards and restricted areas
● Conducting site surveys to confirm GPS accuracy.
3. Minimising hidden obstacles and navigation challenges
Autonomous mowers can handle complex terrain, but reducing unexpected obstacles ensures smoother, more consistent performance. Useful site adjustments include:
● Levelling sprinkler heads with surrounding turf
● Removing low posts, barriers or temporary obstructions
● Relocating tees or markers to reduce visual clutter
● Simplifying narrow or awkward walk-off areas.
A significant advantage is that these improvements also help manual mowing teams, creating a cleaner, more efficient landscape for everyone involved in course maintenance.
Leading the way with Reesink
The first step in introducing automated mowers to the course is easy with Reesink. Every course is different and that’s why Reesink provides hands-on support through:
● Full site evaluations to determine robot suitability
● Infrastructure planning for charging and power
● Digital mapping and configuration
● Installation and setup training.
Lee will visit the site to ensure there’s sufficient satellite coverage for the machine. Once everything is cleared, he’ll help create a virtual map of the course that the autonomous and robot machines will use as reference, utilising GPS antennas and RTK systems to locate their position and the areas to be mowed in real-time.
Lee explains how he was involved with the set-up of five Toro Turf Pro 500 mowers at Thonock Park: “We were there at the point of delivery to install the chargers and base station. The mowers are blind out of the box so training them involves telling them everything they need to know like where the charging station is, the route to the fairways, what the safe and not safe areas are, and of course for the team to understand the operation and terminology involved.”
Ready to explore autonomous mowing for your course? Visit, reesinkturfcare.co.uk/autonomous to learn more or call 01480 226800 to speak with one of our experts
