Striped mowing patterns are a common sight on golf courses; but how is striping done and does it impact playing conditions?

Turf on a golf course needs water, food and sunlight to survive. It must also be mowed regularly to create the desired playing conditions. Greens, surrounds, fairways, tees and rough are mown at precisely measured heights on a frequent basis to provide good playability, but it is not just the frequency and quality of mowing that sets a golf course apart from other turfgrass areas. How the operators mow the turf also helps to define each of the playing surfaces.

The striping of golf course playing areas has been done for decades, with a light stripe occurring when turf is mowed away from the viewer and a dark stripe occurring when turf is mowed toward the viewer. Mowing patterns provide excellent definition for each playing surface, but is this definition truly needed throughout the entire golf course?