Golf courses are among the most demanding environments for groundskeeping professionals. From manicured fairways to steep, rugged rough areas, embankments, and water hazards, maintaining a golf course is a complex, labour-intensive operation that carries real safety risks. Remote control mowers are fast becoming one of the most exciting tools in the modern greenkeeper's arsenal — and for good reason.
The Challenge of Golf Course Terrain
A standard 18-hole golf course is far more than a flat expanse of grass. Courses are deliberately designed with character — sweeping banks, sloped rough areas, water hazard embankments, and dense scrub boundaries that need regular maintenance. These areas are notoriously difficult and dangerous to manage with conventional ride-on or walk-behind mowers. Operators working on steep inclines face genuine risks of machine rollover, slipping, and injury. In wet conditions, these risks increase dramatically.
This is where remote mowers genuinely change the game.
Safety First — Protecting Your Greenkeeping Team
The single most compelling argument for a remote mower on a golf course is operator safety. A machine like the FM 24-70 can tackle slopes of up to 35 degrees — terrain that would be extremely hazardous for a person operating a traditional mower. The operator simply stands at a safe vantage point and controls the machine using a handheld remote, up to 200 metres away. There is no need for staff to wade through bracken, navigate unstable embankments, or expose themselves to the vibration and physical strain of heavy machinery.
Built-in safety features reinforce this further. An automatic slope sensor cuts the blade if the machine tips beyond its safe operating angle, meaning that even in worst-case scenarios, a runaway mower with a spinning blade is never the outcome.
Tackling the Rough and the Rugged
Golf course rough is designed to be punishing for golfers who miss the fairway — and it can be just as punishing for groundskeeping equipment. Thick, overgrown grass, brambles, scrub, and even small saplings are commonplace along course boundaries and around natural hazards. Standard rotary mowers simply aren't designed for this kind of abuse.
The FM 24-70's 685mm cutting disc with free-swinging blade tips is built specifically for this challenge. The swing-tip design is particularly clever — rather than transmitting the force of an impact with a hidden rock or root through the machine's drivetrain, the blade tips flex and absorb the impact, protecting the machine and avoiding costly repairs. This is exactly the kind of durability golf course managers need when maintaining areas that haven't been cleared in weeks.
Reducing Operator Fatigue and Improving Efficiency
Walk-behind mowers on rough terrain are exhausting. Hours of vibration exposure, physically demanding terrain, and the concentration required to stay safe all take a toll on groundskeeping staff over the course of a season. Remote mowers eliminate this entirely. The operator stands still, scans the terrain from a good vantage point, and guides the machine with minimal physical effort.
Beyond fatigue, efficiency improves too. The FM 24-70's independently controlled track motors enable zero-turn manoeuvrability, meaning less time is wasted repositioning the machine. Variable speed control allows the operator to adjust pace on the fly depending on vegetation density — moving quickly through lighter grass and slowing down to grind through heavier scrub without losing cutting quality.
Consistent Results, Course-Wide
Presentation matters enormously in golf. Members and visitors expect to see a well-maintained course at all times, and the appearance of boundary rough and embankment areas reflects on the club's standards just as much as the fairways themselves. Remote mowers with adjustable cutting heights — ranging from 30mm to 120mm on the FM 24-70, all controlled remotely — allow greenkeepers to dial in exactly the right finish for each area of the course without changing machines or attachments.
A Smart Long-Term Investment
The upfront cost of a remote mower pays dividends quickly when weighed against the alternatives. Contractor costs for difficult terrain management, potential insurance claims from operator injuries on steep slopes, and the wear and tear on conventional mowers being pushed beyond their design limits all add up. A machine built for the job, operated safely and efficiently, is simply better value over a full season.
The FM 24-70 is backed by a one-year commercial warranty and is built to handle the most demanding conditions professional grounds teams encounter. For clubs looking to modernise their maintenance operations, reduce risk, and free up staff time for higher-value tasks, it represents a logical step forward.
The Bottom Line
Golf course management is evolving. The best-run clubs invest in the right tools for the right jobs, and remote control mowers represent a genuine advancement in how difficult terrain can be managed — safely, efficiently, and to a high standard. Whether it's maintaining the steep banks around a water hazard, clearing overgrown rough along the course boundary, or tackling seasonal scrub growth, a remote mower puts operators in control without putting them in harm's way.
For more information on the FM 24-70 Remote Control Mower, visit Tracmaster
