Aerification is done....Finally!

With the rain on Monday morning, we were only able to get about 6 holes completed.  Thanks to some good weather and my hard working crew, we were able to finish on Tuesday.  We never want to have to close the golf course, but getting everything done and over with early will let the greens be in great shape sooner in the season.  Thank you all for your patience.

We used the same process to aerate as last fall.  We did not pull a 'core', but used solid tines to pound the sand into the greens profile.  Ultimately, we were able to introduce more fresh sand into the root zone with this practice with the real benefit being less disruption of the putting surface. The only change from last fall is the addition of 'deep-tine' aerification to punch deep holes into the greens. Below are some step-wise photographs of the process.

First, we applied a heavy sand topdressing of sand that meets the USGA specification for greens.

This is a heavy layer of sand.  We were able to incorporate over 30 tons of sand, which is more than we usually use with traditional coring.

We have to wait for the sand to dry completely before we punch it in.  Morning shade and cool temperatures forced us to wait about 3 hours after the sand was applied to punch it in.

This spring, we added deep-tine punching to the process.  This machine, on loan from Auglaize Golf Club, allows us to punch almost 10 inches into the greens.

This machine has a 'heaving' action that really loosens up the soil profile beneath the surface, which opens up the soil to allow for better rooting and drainage.

After the deep tine, we go over it again with a standard aerifier with solid tines, that pokes shallow holes to let the sand in.  Notice we are not removing a core.

A heavier tow-behind brush begins moving the sand into the holes.

A finer-bristled lightweight brush does a little nicer job smoothing the sand.

Crew members with brooms make sure all the holes are filled and put the finishing touches on the sand.

The greens are then rolled to smooth the surface.

Finally, soil amendments and fertilizer is applied to give the greens a nice kick to help them heal.  A final watering with the sprinklers activates the fertilizer and washes the sand into the holes.