On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday the course will be closed for aerification. We will be punching the greens using the bayonet tines, applying amendments, and topdressing. The sand will be brushed in and greens left to heal. Approaches will be punched using hollow tines and topdressed. We will resume mowing before golf begins on Thursday.
The tees will be cored with 3/4" hollow tines and topdressed to fill the holes. The timing couldn't be better as the rainfall this summer has not let up for two months. Since the last week of June we have collected 12" of rain in our gauge. Certainly a drastic contrast to last year with the 6" that fell over 5 months. This excessive rainfall coupled with much higher levels of humidity has caused soft conditions, shrinking roots and wear in the higher traffic areas. Opening the tees will allow for much needed oxygen to revitalize the plants, create channels for new roots, and remove the wet decaying thatch that slowly but surely weakens the plants.
Fairways will be solid tined later in the fall then topped with gypsum.
You usually won't hear many supers say these words but I'm looking forward to aerification.
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