Working in low-light conditions is challenging for any golf course maintenance staff. To improve early morning working conditions, Mike Cunniff, director of golf course maintenance at Clear Creek Tahoe in Nevada, and his equipment manager, Jon Stringer, got creative – they added light bars to the front of frequently used mowers. Light bars effectively illuminate work space, lessening the chance of a mistake and increasing safety for operators and those around them.
Cunniff and Stinger were able to outfit their equipment with light bars for a total cost of $125.00 per piece of equipment including tax: Light bars were purchased for $75.00 each, the wire harness for attaching a light bar to a machine cost $15.00, and individual LED lights that replaced the factory lights – adding 10 yards of sight distance to the factory lighting systems – were purchased for $25.00.
Mounting a light bar to a roll bar or roof attachment added an astounding 200 yards of sight distance in pitch-black conditions. Operators also report that the light makes it easier to see what has been previously mowed – a tough task in low-light conditions.
West Region Agronomists:
Patrick J. Gross, regional director – pgross@usga.org
Larry W. Gilhuly, agronomist – lgilhuly@usga.org
Brian S. Whitlark, agronomist – bwhitlark@usga.org
Blake Meentemeyer, agronomist – bmeentemeyer@usga.org
Information on the USGA’s Course Consulting Service