Aerification

For August aerification we will be utilizing a few different methods to reduce organic matter and add oxygen to the soil. Each is effective for its particular playing surface and will be beneficial in preparing the turf for great fall conditions and the cold winter months.

Greens will be aerified with small tines and topdressed on Monday and Tuesday followed by a contractor called DryJect arriving on Wednesday to inject sand into the top 4" on Wednesday. They utilize water and air pressure to create clean sand channels, allowing water to penetrate through the profile faster. The method is less abrasive than a standard aerification and encourages a faster recovery.

Fairways will be spiked to give them a breath of fresh air and shatter the soil profile from all of the compaction this season. Using the spiker will allow them to recover with no playability issues and no voids left for poa to germinate.

We began the tee slicing process on Wednesday with hopes of slowly poking away, but the rain has halted that operation until later next week. This machine is very aggressive and physically removes the thatch using saw blades. Below you can see a picture of how effective the slicer is at creating a channel through the organic layer. We hope to perform this process at least one more time this fall. We have a long way to go in eliminating the sponginess out of the tees. Trying to get water through the mat and into the rootzone has been a tough task the last two years.

Feel free to come see the process in effect on Monday thru Wednesday. If all goes well, we will have all 18 back in shape for Thursday golf.