100 Years of Innovation in Golf — Part 1: Fairways

100 Years of Innovation in Golf — Part 1: Fairways

This series of articles will capture just a few innovations, old and new, that Toro has developed over the past 100 years to help our customers meet the ongoing challenges of maintaining their golf courses. In each article, our intent is to quietly honor the customers, channel partners and Toro employees that have all contributed to our longevity and success.

Meeting a Need
From the very start, Toro was interested in helping superintendents solve problems. Recognizing the need to mow large fairways quickly, Toro developed the industry’s first motorized fairway mower in 1919, the Toro Standard Golf Machine. It had multiple reels to cover a lot of ground.

Two years later, combining the knowledge gained from the original roller and the Standard Golf Machine, Toro introduced both the first Flexible Fairway Roller and the first Flexible Frame Fairway Mower. These innovations advanced fairway care as each roller or cutting unit operated independently, following contours in the ground to optimize performance without damaging the turf.

Building on Tradition
Meeting the needs of courses and superintendents continues to be the driving force behind Toro’s lineup of golf course equipment. Today, Toro solutions for fairways include the Reelmaster^® 3550-D mower and the Reelmaster^® 5010-H Hybrid mower.

The cost-efficient Reelmaster 3550-D is equipped with five 18-inch wide DPA cutting units that float effortlessly over the turf to provide an exceptional quality-of-cut. Yet it weighs 15-20% less than comparably equipped competitive mowers, providing a gentle footprint and reduced soil compaction. Plus, its series/parallel 3-wheel drive system and turf-friendly tires provide all the traction you need without damaging the turf during hill climbing and turns.

Quiet and fuel-efficient, the Reelmaster 5010-H Hybrid is the industry’s only fairway mower with a true hybrid drive system. Toro’s patented PowerMatch technology enables the Reelmaster 5010-H to match the power generated to the power required for the vehicle and the electrically driven cutting units based on the mowing conditions. The result is a mower that’s quiet to operate, reduces the potential for hydraulic leaks, saves fuel, lowers maintenance costs, and reduces your carbon footprint, all while delivering the exceptional cut you need.

Only the Beginning
From our earliest days, Toro has built on the innovations of the past to fulfill needs and meet the ongoing challenges of maintaining fairways and other critical areas of your golf course. That spirit of innovation goes on today and into the future. We hope you’ll continue to share ideas and challenges with Toro to drive improvements and productive partnerships for the well-being of the industry.

Toro innovations for fairway care are just part of Toro’s long history of cutting-edge solutions for the golf industry. Watch for more 100 Years of Innovation in Golf articles in future Toro Advantage newsletters, and learn more about Toro innovations for greens, aeration, grooming and more.