JOHN MASCARO ’ S PHOTO QUIZ
ANSWER
From page 17
A seasonal summer worker on a rotary 3-deck fairway mower is the reason the turf is mowed at a lower height on the right side of the fi eld . This private high school is located in Massachusetts and the sports fi eld manager hires three to four summer employees each year — all between the ages of 17 and 20 . This mower operator was on his third summer and was mowing the practice football fi eld in the late morning when the turf was dry . As he was mowing , the blade bolt became loose and started to scalp the turf on the outside edge of the unit . Unaware that anything was wrong , the young man continued to mow fi ve or six 400-foot-long passes until the bolt fi nally came all the way off and the mower blade dug into the ground ( as shown in the second photo ). Luckly , this occurred at the beginning of July when the fi eld was being rested . The area was able to recover on its own before it was used by the high school team . It was a good lesson for the employee to watch a little more carefully what they are doing , no matter how “ jamming ” the music is on their headphones .
Photo submitted by Peter Thibeault CSFM , sports turf manager at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham , Massachusetts .
John Mascaro is president of Turf-Tec International
If you would like to submit a photograph for John Mascaro ’ s Photo Quiz , please send a high-resolution digital photo to John Mascaro via email at john @ turf-tec . com . If your photograph is selected , you will receive full credit . All photos submitted will become property of SportsField Management magazine and the Sports Field Management Association . sportsfieldmanagementonline . com January 2025 | SportsField Management
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