Our plan this week was to aerify and topdress approaches prior to aerifying greens next week. That didn't work out so well given 1.73" of rain we received over 4 days. On Monday we topdressed then core aerified Orchard 1-9 and Grove 9 approaches, knowing we could clean them up if the weather cooperated. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and we have only been able to drag the plugs once due to how wet the ground is. Normally we drag the plugs a couple times in different directions to separate the organic matter from the soil then blow off the debris. We will finish cleaning up the approaches on Orchard and Grove 9 as soon as possible, then aerify and topdress the remaining holes as the weather allows.
So why are we only aerifying approaches? Normally, approaches are aerified with greens using our smaller, light weight machine because of the undulations and areas that are too tight for the larger fairway aerifiers and tractors to maneuver around. This year, we felt the approaches had become softer (spongy) than we'd like due to an increase in thatch (organic matter), and the small .25" diameter tines used on greens don't remove enough material. The best way to reduce thatch is through aggressive core aerification and topdressing, so we're using a .5" diameter tine that removes more thatch and creates a larger hole that will accept more topdressing sand. We'll re-evaluate the firmness of the approaches next spring, but this may be a process that we need to continue for several years to achieve better playing conditions.
Just a reminder that greens aerification is scheduled for next week, 11/2-11/6. The rotation will be Lakes, Orchard, Grove with only 9 holes closed per day. Please check with the Golf Shop for more details.
 |
| Orchard 9 approach topdressed, aerified and dragged once. The sand looks a little heavy but will be worked into the turf canopy with additional dragging and rain events. |
 |
| Orchard 9 approach after several rain events. The ground is very wet, but most of the sand has been washed in. |
 |
| Here you can see that most of the holes are filled with topdressing sand after the initial drag. |