Course Update 9/25/20

Fairway aerification was completed earlier this week and besides a later start two days due to frost, the weather was perfect.  We used the same contractor as in previous years and the process went very smoothly since they're familiar with the property.  Because we only closed 9 holes per day the contractor didn't need their entire equipment fleet, but still used three tractors, two large aerifiers, and one recycling machine with a total value of $180,000.  They charge us $275 per acre to core aerify and recycle the plugs which comes out to $11,000 for our 40 acres of fairway.  The aerifiers were setup with 48 hollow tines that removed a 3/4" diameter core 4" deep, which created 24 holes per square foot.  That equates to 41,817,600 holes across all 40 acres of fairways.  That may seem like a lot of holes, but it only affected 5% of the total surface area.  The holes should be healed over in 7-10 days given our current weather conditions and hopefully we receive a little rain.

Aerification is an important and necessary practice in providing great playing conditions.  CLICK HERE to learn more about the process and why we do it.

The contractor uses two large aerifiers that each have a 98" working width for maximum productivity.

Once the plugs (cores) dry out enough they are broken up with two heavy steel drag mats that go over every fairway several times.  The goal is to separate the soil from the organic matter (thatch) so the soil can be worked back into the holes.

Once the fairways are dragged the contractor uses a recycling machine hooked to another tractor to pulverize the soil and thatch into finer pieces.

The debris on the surface of this fairway is thatch that was left after the recycling process.  Thatch is found in every turfgrass area and some thatch is needed to insulate and protect the plant.  Too much thatch is a problem and causes playing surfaces to be soft and spongy.  It also holds onto excess water which leads to more disease.

The final step in the process is for the maintenance staff to blow the thatch and any remaining debris off the fairways and then clean off irrigation heads, yardage markers and drains.  Here all five blowers are working together on Orchard #8 to clean off the lower fairway.

Here is the end result after aerifying, dragging, pulverizing, and blowing.

Frost Delays

This morning we experienced our first frost delay of the fall season after the temperature dropped to 34 degrees last night.  Frost is common this time of year and can even occur when the air temperature is above freezing, as was the case last night.  Frost will usually be evident at sunrise, as the air at ground level is warmed it becomes lighter and rises.  Colder, denser air will take the place of the warm air and can be 5-10 degrees cooler, thus creating frozen turf.  Frost usually "burns off" quickly in direct sunlight, but certain areas of the course are heavily shaded and take longer to thaw.  The maintenance staff monitors specific areas throughout the property on cool mornings to determine whether frost is present, and the decision to allow play is based on when those areas will be frost-free.

Click Here To Watch A Short Video From The USGA On Frost

The picture below is from two years ago on Orchard 1, but it's a good example of what happens when you walk on frozen turf.  You can clearly see the black footprints in the rough and fairway which indicate dying grass.  When out for your morning walk, please stay on the cart paths and sidewalks.  This also applies to your pets, as dogs can damage frozen turf the same way humans do.

Course Update 9/12/20

Aerification season is underway and all 29 greens were DryJected this week.  You may be wondering why we don't DryJect more often and stop pulling cores.  The answer is that DryJect is just another "tool" we use to help manage the organic matter (thatch) in the greens.  The process injects sand or other porous material to dilute the thatch, but does not actually remove anything like traditional core aerification does.  We've found that DryJecting heals considerably faster compared to core aerification and is the best process for this time of year, while still accomplishing our goal of diluting the thatch.  Later this fall we plan to pull cores to physically remove the thatch and topdress to fill the holes.  The healing process in late fall is relatively slow, but open holes during the winter helps water drain from the putting surface, limiting the amount of ice buildup and potential for winter injury.

Click Here To Learn More About DryJect And How It Works

Core aerification of fairways is next on the schedule beginning Monday 9/21 thru Wednesday 9/23, with 9 holes closed each day.  Stay tuned for more information...

Here is the DryJect machine in action.  A little root zone amendment remains on the putting surface around each injection hole, but 95% is in the rootzone where it is most beneficial.

Once the putting surfaces dry out, they are brushed to work the extra material into the turf canopy then rolled to smooth out any tire tracks.  Rolling also helps to firm up the surface.

Here's a profile of the rootzone showing the injection column and depth of penetration.  We were getting 5"-6" deep on most of the greens.  By using high pressure water to create channels in the rootzone, the DryJect process can break thru the layers created by years of regular core aerification, which allows for better drainage and deeper root growth.

Here's the finished product after brushing and rolling.  Regular mowing has resumed as of today and all greens have been rolled 2x.  The weather forecast calls for warm days, cool nights, and plenty of sun in the near future so the greens should be fully recovered in a few days.