When I played Short Beach Golf Course in Stratford last year, I came away disappointed with the condition of the course. The setting has always had a lot going for it, especially the water, marsh grass and open coastal feel, but at the time I thought too many areas looked poorly maintained. Coming back this year was a completely different experience. The course looked cleaner, greener and much more cared for, and the overall presentation was noticeably better.
One of the most interesting things I saw was a fleet of Husqvarna robotic mowers quietly working around the property. The mower I photographed is the Husqvarna Automower 535 AWD EPOS, a commercial robotic mower built for difficult terrain. Watching it work made me think this kind of equipment could be especially useful on golf courses, where so much maintenance time is spent on awkward slopes, rough edges and areas around hazards.
More Than a Backyard Robot Mower
This is not just a larger version of the little robotic mower people might picture wandering around a suburban lawn. The 535 AWD EPOS is part of Husqvarna’s commercial turf lineup. It combines all-wheel drive with an articulated rear body, which helps it maintain traction and maneuver over uneven ground. Husqvarna also uses its EPOS satellite-based positioning system to create virtual work areas and stay-out zones rather than relying only on a traditional buried perimeter wire.
That seems particularly well suited to a golf course. Instead of sending a large riding mower into every irregular corner of the property, a smaller autonomous machine can repeatedly maintain defined areas around tee boxes, banks, rough and water features. Husqvarna specifically describes the 535 AWD EPOS as being developed for challenging areas on golf courses and says it is ideal for rough and surrounding areas. Husqvarna’s golf-course equipment page gives a good overview of how the company positions these machines.
The Slope Performance Was Impressive
The part that really made me stop and watch was the way the mower handled the steep banks. One section looked close to a 30-degree slope to me. I did not measure the grade, so that is only a visual estimate, but it was clearly steep enough that I would have expected a small machine to struggle. Instead, the mower just kept going. There was no obvious drama, no constant wheelspin and no need for someone to intervene.
That performance is not accidental. Husqvarna rates the 535 AWD EPOS for slopes up to 70% grade, or 35 degrees, inside the mowing area. Its coarse-tread wheels, all-wheel-drive system and articulated chassis are specifically intended for difficult terrain. Seeing it traverse a steep bank in person made that specification feel much more meaningful than it does on a product page.
For golf-course maintenance, this seems like one of the strongest arguments for robotic mowing. Banks beside wetlands, native vegetation or water hazards can be awkward places for larger equipment. A low-profile autonomous mower that can repeatedly cover those areas without needing an operator onboard could free the grounds crew to spend more time on jobs that require judgment and hands-on attention.
Why This Makes Sense on Golf Courses
I would not claim that robotic mowers are the reason Short Beach looks so much better this year. Course conditioning is the result of many decisions and a lot of work by the maintenance staff. But it is easy to see how machines like these could be a useful part of that system. They can handle repetitive mowing in difficult areas while larger equipment and staff focus elsewhere, and they can do it without making the course feel like an active construction zone.
They were also remarkably unobtrusive. I could watch one working nearby without feeling as though a major maintenance operation was happening beside the hole. That matters on a golf course, where maintenance has to happen every day without getting in the way of play.
Short Beach Looks Much Better
The biggest takeaway for me was simply how much better Short Beach looked compared with my previous visit. Last year I thought the course was poorly maintained. This time the grass looked more consistent, the areas around the holes looked cleaner, and the property gave a much stronger impression that the details were being taken care of.
The robotic mowers were the most visible — and probably the coolest — sign that something different is happening with the way the course is being maintained. If machines like the Husqvarna 535 AWD EPOS are helping the staff keep difficult areas under control, I hope we see more of them at Short Beach and at other public golf courses. Watching a robot quietly crawl across a steep bank while golfers keep playing around it feels a little futuristic. After seeing one actually do the job, it also feels completely practical.