Pity the poor golf ball picker. They spend their days driving a cart-like tractor all over a giant range, scooping up thousands of balls—and the whole time, long rows of golfers indulge their second-favorite sport: launching golf balls at the ball picker driver.
Ball picker drivers survive thanks to a metal cage that protects them from 100-MPH Titleists, Srixons, Callaways, and Wilsons. Still, the indignity of it all! How would you like your job to BANG BANG BANG with nonstop percussion as balls (often intentionally, sometimes inadvertently) ricochet off your workspace?
Thankfully, a solution is at hand. Dallas-based Graze—which launched its commercial-grade autonomous robot lawn mower just last month—has unveiled an attachment it says will “revolutionize” the way golf courses and driving ranges manage ball collection.
The 5-foot wide Single Section Golf Ball Picker “ensures optimal maneuverability and precision in diverse golf course landscapes,” the company says. Equipped with a split drum design, the attachment enhances the robot mower’s agility, “enabling it to navigate through various terrains and tight spaces with ease.”
‘A more intelligent and efficient approach’
“This attachment isn’t just a tool; it’s a step towards a more intelligent and efficient approach to maintaining golf courses,” Graze CEO Logan Fahey said in a statement. “With the ability to autonomously collect golf balls both day and night, our ball picker attachment is an essential addition to any modern golf course looking to enhance its maintenance operations.”
By converting the company’s electric robot mowers into “autonomous ball collection units,” Graze doesn’t mean to put the poor golf ball retriever people out of work. Instead, it says the solution will “enable maintenance staff to focus on other crucial tasks.”
“This efficiency not only extends operational hours but also minimizes ball loss, significantly boosting productivity on the golf course,” Graze said.
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R E A D N E X T
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After testing the commercial robotic mower at DFW Airport last summer, Dallas-based Graze is now putting its G3 model on the market for pre-order. It can mow 1.6 acres an hour with 8 hours of runtime for airports, golf courses, and more, the company says.
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