Checklist
Golf course machinery maintenance checklist
Use this checklist to keep greens mowers, fairway mowers, tractors, utility vehicles and sprayers in service through a full UK season. Daily items take a couple of minutes per machine before it leaves the shed. The weekly, hourly and seasonal items are what keep the fleet off the workshop floor in July.
Daily pre-start checks (every machine, every morning)
Two minutes before the machine leaves the shed. If anything fails, raise a fault and tag the machine out rather than sending it to the course.
- Engine oil level and any sign of a leak under the machine
- Coolant level and radiator screen clear of clippings
- Hydraulic oil level, hoses and fittings checked for weeping
- Fuel level topped up, cap secure, no diesel spill on the deck
- Tyre condition and pressures, or roller condition on a greens mower
- Cutting units: height of cut, reel to bedknife contact, sharp edges
- Grass boxes secure, guards and covers in place
- Lights, beacon, horn and reverse alarm working
- Seat, seat belt, ROPS and operator presence switch working
- Brakes and parking brake tested before leaving the yard
- Engine hours recorded at start and end of the shift
End of day
Five minutes that saves a workshop morning.
- Wash down and blow off clippings, especially around the engine bay
- Grease the points listed in the operator manual
- Report any fault noticed during the shift, with a photo
- Refuel ready for the morning and log the litres and cost
- Park under cover with the parking brake on and the key removed
Weekly checks
Best done on the quietest morning of the week, before play builds up.
- Air filter inspected and pre-cleaner emptied
- Battery terminals clean, tight and free of corrosion
- Belts checked for glazing, cracking and correct tension
- Hydraulic hoses inspected along their full run for chafing
- Reels and bedknives inspected, backlapped where needed
- Height of cut re-checked on all greens and tees units
- Wheel nuts torqued and steering play checked
- Grease all secondary points and pivot pins
Monthly and by engine hours
Most course machinery is serviced by engine hours rather than by the calendar. Set an interval per machine and let the hours drive the work.
- Engine oil and filter change at the manufacturer interval, commonly 100 to 250 hours
- Fuel filter and water separator changed or drained
- Hydraulic filter changed at the interval in the manual
- Air filter replaced rather than cleaned again
- Cutting units ground or sharpened on a schedule, not on complaint
- Cooling system flushed and hoses checked before peak season
- Spray equipment nozzles flow tested and calibrated
- Service record updated with parts used and cost
Seasonal and winter work
The window between the end of the season and the first cut is when the fleet catches up.
- Full grind of all cutting units and replacement of worn bedknives
- Deep clean, inspection for cracks in frames, decks and rollers
- Battery conditioning or removal on machines going into storage
- Fuel stabiliser added, or tanks drained on petrol equipment
- Sprayer flushed, filters cleaned and tank stored empty
- Tyres inspected and machines chocked or set on blocks
- Annual safety inspection, including ROPS, guards and lifting equipment
- Cost of ownership reviewed per machine before the replacement budget goes to the committee
Notes by machine type
Greens mowers
Check reel to bedknife contact daily and record height of cut. Clippings left in the unit overnight cause corrosion and inconsistent cut quality.
Fairway and rough mowers
Watch hydraulic hoses closely. A leak on a fairway unit costs far more in turf damage than in parts.
Tractors and utility vehicles
Service by engine hours, and check PTO guards and hitch pins before towing any implement.
Sprayers
Calibrate at the start of the season and after any nozzle change, and keep a record for compliance.
Hand tools and pedestrian mowers
Log them in the register too. They are the machines most often serviced by memory alone.
Stop printing the checklist
Green Teams turns this checklist into a pre-start check your crew tick off on their phone, with faults raised as photos and service intervals tracked by date or engine hours. It works offline out on the course and syncs when the signal returns.