GROUNDS
GREENKEEPER'S UPDATE by Tim Kennelly, CGCS, Head Greenkeeper Aeration is necessary to relieve compaction, improve oxygen, stimulate new turf rooting in the soil, and improve water penetration and infiltration in the root zone. This year, our team aerated the West greens in late March by removing soil with 3/8" coring tines followed by light amounts of sand to smooth the surface. East Course aeration is scheduled for May 3 through May 5. We will be pulling small 1/8" cores followed by a light application of sand topdressing on the greens. We will also be aerating fairways with ½" solid tines followed by verticutting with the Wiedenmann pull-behind machine.
Wiedenmann pull-behind machine
Aerating when the soil and surface temperatures are warm and the greens are actively growing, healing is much faster with reduced disruption time versus aeration in late March/ early April period. For the bentgrass greens, tees, and East fairways, the most important reason for aeration is the removal and reduction of thatch and organic matter. Thatch is a tightly intermingled layer of dead and living stems, leaves, and roots that accumulate between vegetation and soil surface. Thatch accumulation naturally occurs on creeping bentgrass surfaces. It can accumulate rather rapidly, negatively impacting turf growth and playability from reduced water infiltration and increased moisture retention resulting in a soggy surface. An excessive wet layer of thatch creates an excellent breeding ground for disease and pests. In addition to this core aeration, we will be frequently venting the green surfaces with Ninja Tines.
Holes created by Ninja Tines
These are tiny holes that are less disruptive than the standard coring tines and only disrupt 1% of the surface area. In 2020, we found this practice beneficial during the summer stress season (mid-June though mid-September) in providing healthy and quality playing surfaces. This month as the bermudagrass begins to grow, we will be verticutting the bermudagrass on the Driving Range and West Course tees in addition to the bentgrass. What exactly is verticutting? Verticutting is the thinning of turfgrass by blades or wire tines that cut perpendicularly to the soil in varying depths. This practice promotes both lateral and vertical growth, while deeper cuts into the soil reduce thatch and allow moisture and oxygen to reach the root zone. ◆
COURSE CLOSURES MAY 3-5 10 17 24
JUNE 1 7 14 21 28
East Course closed (Aeration) East Course closed (Aeration rain date) West Course closed West Course closed East Course closed East Course closed East Course closed East & West closed (Private event) East & West closed (Private event raindate) 11
