Recent Activities

Over the last 10 days or so we have accomplished quite a bit !  On Monday and Tuesday, August 3rd and 4th, we Aggressively verticutt , top-dressed and aerified our greens. This time during aerification we simply poked holes rather than the more invasive pulling of cores. I decided with the extreme heat and lack of rain that it would be better not to disrupt the putting surface as severely to ensure rapid recovery.

The following Monday, August 10th, we completed our follow up verticut. This time it was not quite as aggressive, but still very important in the overall playability of the greens. We perform this second verticut because of the fertility we add to the greens during aerification combined with the aerification it self, create a flush of growth. If we do not perform the follow up verticutt the grain and the thatch build up could re plentish rapidly.

Verticutting is a type of mowing. The blades are vertical and slice downward into the thatch layer of the turf. this helps to thin the thatch preventing a build up of decomposing matter that creates a spongy feel to the greens and prevents air and water from moving as freely into the soil.Verticutting is also one of our tools to help manage the grain on the putting surface. 

Here is Jose Verticutting a green

Here is what it looks like while cutting, the left side of green is cut, the right has not been.

We we verticutt the greens at varying degrees of aggressiveness every two weeks during the growing season.  

We topdress the greens every week. Topdressing is another tool to improve the putting surface.

The sand is drug in creating a smoother surface and standing up the leaf blade. This helps control grain and reduces friction, which allows the ball to roll further or "faster".

Here is an example of a weekly topdressing and the sand being drug into the turf.