Course Update

We couldn't have had better weather for our fall aeration of greens, approaches and tees earlier this week and now with the forecast calling for heavy rain the next 3 days the healing process will be expedited. The greens were aerified using 5/8in hollow core tines on a 2x2 inch spacing. The cores were removed by hand and filled with sand. The greens were brushed and rolled Tuesday afternoon and again on Wednesday afternoon. The approaches and tees were aerififed using the same tines but on a closer 1.5x2 inch spacing. The greens and approaches were overseeded with bentgrass while the heavy use tees 3,6,and 8 were seeded with ryegrass and bentgrass.

The greens and approaches were mowed this morning for the first time since aeration and everything looks great, no scalping and a nice mix of sand and grass in the buckets. The weather will dictate our mowing schedule over the next few days but you can expect to see sand on the greens into next week. The sand on the surface is extremely important for providing a firm putting surface throughout the year. The greens are topdressed weekly throughout the season but very lightly, aeration gives us an opportunity to apply large amounts of sand leveling the playing surface and really make some progress diluting our thatch layer.

Soil samples were collected from the greens during aeration and sent to Logan labs to determine what minerals our soils are lacking at the same time giving me the information that I need to construct a fertilization program for next season. These tests also give a timeline year to year on how our fertilization programs are meeting the needs of the plant.

I beg that you please please please fix your ball marks especially now after aeration and rainfall the greens are soft and ball marks are created very easily. I know many of you hate aeration and think that we are ruining the fall golf season but I will tell you that what we do now determines how the greens play next summer. Its hard to believe that but the results will be seen next season as our thatch levels decrease, plant health increases, and playability of the golf course excels.