Key takeaways
- Crossover starts send traffic off holes 1 and 10 at the same time.
- Turnaround windows close tees while groups swap nines.
- Fairway robots must respect crossover corridors, not just tee boxes.
- Starters and monitors share one hold sheet tied to hole numbers.
- Import tee-sheet blocks from the POS before you unlock polygons.
What a crossover tee start does to fairway traffic
A crossover or double tee start sends groups off hole one and hole ten during the same booking window. Club tee-sheet guides describe groups at 8:00 a.m. on the first tee and 8:00 a.m. on the tenth tee until front-nine players reach the turn.
For turf teams, that means fairways on both nines are live while robots may still be finishing an overnight loop. A mower clearing hole nine can meet carts heading to hole ten for the crossover.
Fairway robots need holds on crossover paths, not only on the tees where play began.
Why the turnaround block matters for mowing
MembersFirst tee-sheet documentation walks through a two-hour front-nine window, for example 7:00 a.m. to 8:50 a.m., followed by a crossover block with no new bookings so groups can move from hole nine to hole ten and from hole eighteen to hole one.
That second block is when diagonals across the turn appear. A robot programmed only for quiet early mornings can still intersect carts when the crossover window opens.
Import both blocks from the tee-sheet system into the maintenance calendar before you release holds.
Map holds on holes nine, ten, one, and eighteen
Mark hard holds on teeing areas plus the fairway corridors players use when they walk or ride between nines. Crossover traffic often cuts across panels you mapped for straight nine-hole loops.
Leave buffer strips around the ninth green and tenth tee complex. Starters stack groups there while they wait for the crossover clock.
When your course runs leagues with nine-hole turnarounds, MiClub-style setups reserve turnaround minutes automatically. Ask the pro shop for those reserved minutes before you unlock robots on the second nine.
Polygon locks versus shutting down the fleet
Full shutdown during every crossover morning wastes time on holes that have no traffic yet. Lock only crossover panels and adjacent landing zones while leaving open loops on distant holes.
Monitors should watch the live map during the no-booking block, not only at dawn. Software timers that ignore crossover blocks are how units end up mid-fairway when carts turn.
Post blinking hold icons on the shop board by hole number so starters answer member questions without calling the mechanic.
Coordinate with starters and the pro shop
Give starters a plain-language sheet: crossover start window, no-booking block, and robot status per hole. Avoid GPS jargon on the radio.
When the pro shop extends the double-tee window for a society day, extend holds in the same edit. Partial updates strand robots when play starts early.
Lightspeed and other tee-sheet platforms label crossover tabs on the booking screen. Ask for a screenshot of the active template each Monday during league season.
League nights that use nine-hole turnarounds
Weeknight leagues that play nine holes still trigger crossover routing when the tee sheet books a turnaround on the tenth tee. Those bookings look quieter than a shotgun but still cross fairways robots use.
Map which league nights use front-to-back turnarounds versus single-nine loops. The hold profile for Tuesday league should not be copied to Saturday member play without checking the template.
Photograph tee marker placement after setup. A forward tee for league speed changes where carts queue and where robots should not enter.
Morning recovery when crossover runs long
If the no-booking block runs long because of slow play, keep holds until starters radio clear. Releasing on a guess traps a unit when the final crossover foursome reaches the tenth tee.
Log incomplete fairway panels on the overnight board when crossover traffic blocks the turn. Morning crews need the list before they hand-cut collars.
Rain that delays crossover play can push traffic into midday. Keep one staff member authorized to extend holds from the shop monitor.
Where integrator support fits
Service Robot Co. maps hold profiles into schedules, stays vendor neutral on hardware, and supports buy or lease financing plus RoboCare through one contact. The superintendent still owns turf calls and crossover timing.
Before the first crossover league week, run a table-top drill with starters: double-tee window, no-booking block, and who texts the monitor to release hole nine.
If members still see robots during crossover, adjust geofences or negotiate tee-sheet blocks before you blame the mowing program.
