Greens Aeration Next Week (What, Why, How)

WHAT: Greens aeration is still on for next week from Monday through mid afternoon Thursday.  It's a much needed process that will help greens survive the upcoming summer months.  

WHY: The rootzone is not functioning properly and aeration is one tool that we can use to help.  Specifically we are struggling with a very slow infiltration rate.  For example, 20 years ago our greens had an infiltration rate of nearly 10" per hour.  Today the tests show a rate of barely 1" per hour.  We know this from the reports we get from the lab every other year.  Water should be passing through the rootzone at a much faster pace.  A buildup of organic matter at the surface is the primary cause of this problem.  

HOW: We will be using 5/8" diameter coring tines at a depth of 2.5-3"  The holes will be spaced about 2" apart and filled with sand.  That is a larger tine size than we typically use in order to make a bigger impact on the issues mentioned above.  We will be using our ProCore 648 aerator which is 48" wide and moves at a snails pace across the green.  The cores will be shoveled up and the holes will be filled with sand.  After aeration, clean up, and topdressing it's brushing, rolling, more sand if needed, and repeat until happy.  

Unfortunately, COVID related supply issues will prevent us from performing the deep tine aeration with this process as we typically do.  That process will have to be worked into the schedule when the tractor finally arrives.  That step isn't as disruptive to play as the coring and topdressing step.  It's very helpful at loosening the profile at a depth well below our core aerator. 

More aggressive topdressing practices throughout the year coupled with more aggressive aeration in the spring and fall will have to be squeezed into the ever growing golf schedule to avoid major issues.  Aeration takes time and money, but nothing compared to the time and money of a greens renovation.  If we want to be good...it takes what it takes.  There are no shortcuts to achieving the results we want.  That means accepting that more inputs are needed which means some compromise with the calendar and budget will have to be made.  Thankfully golf is booming, the club is in the midst of its best stretch ever, and the outlook is bright.  I'm confident that things will all work out, but it's going to require your support.