Your new FireFly Autonomous Mowing Platform (AMP) is on the course, and your members and players are curious about it. A thoughtful introduction turns that curiosity into pride in the club and its agronomy team.
Here are five ways FireFly customers have introduced their robotic mowers, each with a real example you can borrow from.
1. Post on social media
Social media is the quickest way to reach members and the wider golf community at once. A short video of the mowers at work, or a playful graphic that gives them a personality, starts conversations before players ever reach the first tee.
Example: Haggin Oaks Golf Complex (Sacramento, California)
FireFly customer Haggin Oaks Golf Complex introduced its Autonomous Mowing Platform with a short video that answers the question players were already asking. The video opens with a friendly invitation: “You’ve probably noticed something different mowing our fairways. Let me tell you about it.”
The speaker explains how the FireFly autonomous fairway mower delivers a consistent quality of cut, how safely it operates, and how it frees the maintenance crew to attend to detailed projects. He sums it up simply: “It’s just another excellent tool for our maintenance team.”
Example: Firekeeper Golf Course (Topeka, Kansas)
Firekeeper Golf Course introduced its mower as “Carl” with a playful Instagram infographic that spotlights benefits of the machine.
Carl here. 👋 Just checking… have you booked your tee time for this weekend yet? I’ll make sure the fairways are ready when you get here. ⛳
Try it: Film a 15- to 30-second clip of your mowers on a quiet morning, or give your mower a name and let it invite players to book a tee time.
2. Display the mowers during a tournament
Tournaments bring many players to the course on the same day. Parking a mower near the first tee, the practice green or the clubhouse gives players time to look closely, ask questions and see the finished fairways for themselves.
Example: Illahe Hills Country Club (Salem, Oregon)
Illahe Hills Country Club displayed its FireFly mowers during a men’s stag event and shared the moment on Instagram:
Beautiful day for the Beyer’s Revenge Men’s Stag…the participants were able to see the @fireflyrobotics autonomous mowers up close and personal. They were also treated with some absolute lasers for mow lines.
Try it: Station a member of your agronomy team beside the display to answer questions, and point players to the mow lines they will see on the course that day.
3. Hold a naming contest
A naming contest invites members to take part, not just watch. Once a mower has a name, players talk about it like a member of the grounds crew, and the winning entry gives the member who submitted it a fun story to tell.
Example: Rochester Place Golf Club (Ontario, Canada)
Rochester Place Golf Club got creative with a series of fun videos promoting its naming contest, and offered a club gift certificate to the member who submitted the winning name. In this post, the staff is seen in various locations across the property talking about the mower, but every time they seem to say its name, it’s replaced with a “bleep.”
Try it: Collect entries in the pro shop or through a social media post, choose a short list, and let members vote. A prize, such as a club gift certificate, encourages more entries. Announce the winning name with a photo of the mower and its new name tag.
4. Choose names that honor your club’s history and culture
Whether members vote on a name or the club chooses one, the name itself can carry more meaning. A name drawn from the club’s own story gives the mowers meaning beyond their novelty. It honors the people and places members already care about, and every mention of the name retells that story.
Example: Kohanaiki (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii)
Kohanaiki affectionately named its AMP-L100 “Uncle Fran” after a beloved long-time staff member who had steadfastly served the club. The club logo and machine name are displayed on the hood with decals, which can make for a friendly conversation starter when the unit is encountered by curious members.
Try it: Look to longtime staff, founding members, course landmarks, or local language and traditions for names. Share the story behind each name when you introduce the mower.
5. Invite members to an unveiling event
A meet & greet turns the mowers’ arrival into a social event. Members get a relaxed setting to see the equipment, hear from the agronomy team and ask how the mowers care for the course.
Example: The Club at ArrowCreek (Reno, Nevada)
The Club at ArrowCreek invited all members to an evening unveiling on its Grand Lawn, announced on Facebook:
The secret’s out!🌱 Join us this Friday, October 16 at 5:30 PM on the Grand Lawn for the unveiling of The Club’s all new FireFly Robotics mowers! 🔥 Enjoy a complementary glass of wine and talk to our Director of Agronomy David Diver about the newest addition to The Club team. All Members welcome! We will see you there😎
Try it: Schedule the event at a time members are already at the club, such as after a league round, and have your superintendent or director of agronomy on hand to answer questions.
Share your introduction with us
Every club knows its members best, so mix and match these ideas or create your own. When you post about your new mowers, tag @fireflyrobotics so we can celebrate with you. Your FireFly Customer Success team is also glad to help you plan an introduction that fits your club.