A wide area turf mower has a wheel supported main frame and cutting units movably connected to the main frame and positioned in rows in a staggered order to form a mower cutting configuration for cutting a continuous swath of turf between any two outer cutting units located respectively on opposite sides of the main frame. One row of the cutting units includes a first pair of pivotally interconnected outer and inner cutting units at a first side of the main frame, and a second pair of pivotally interconnected inner and outer cutting units at the second side of the main frame. First hydraulic cylinders cause the outer cutting units to fold in a direction towards the rear end of the main frame. Second hydraulic cylinders cause the inner cutting units to lift in an upward direction. A controller operates all of the hydraulic cylinders.