Fairway aerificarion

Fairway verti-cutting

 Getting our Ducks in a row!

 After a couple of downpours to start the week, Mother Nature has given us clear skies to complete our work.  It all started on Tuesday.  The greens received a heavy vert-cutting followed by an ample amount of topdressing.  Once this was completed we aerified greens with 1/2 inch coring tines.  The cores that were removed are being re-used to fortify lake banks and grow in a new nursery green.  Our nursery green was over used in the past and had become contaminated with off type bermuda grass.  Over the last few weeks we have killed of the old grass, removed the top 4 inches, added fresh greens mix and incorporated the cores from our on-course greens.  This type of grow-in should take 3-5 weeks for a new green to appear.

Wednesday we brought our army to the tees.  Verti-cut followed by the process of removing the access thatch.  This process includes hand raking and a mechanical sweeper that acts as a vacuum to remove the debris.  This is followed by topdressing and aerification.

On to Thursday and the four day War with our Fairways.  Cricle cut, aerification, verti-cut in two directions, vacuum, topdress and drag.  One simple sentence to re-cap a mountain of work.  Close to 500 tons of sand was applied to the fairways and more than 250 yards (9 Dump trucks) of thatch was removed from the golf course.

I am unbelievably PROUD of the accomplishments of our team.  The ability to adapt to changing conditions, the dedication to completing the job and the pride they have in the product they are presenting makes my job a lot easier.

On tap for next week is recovery of the playing surfaces, collar re-grading, wall to wall fertility, cart path repair and some MINOR tree trimming.  

As you can see by the picture below, the ducks are in a row.

#13 Fairway Topdressed

#13 after dragging

New Nursery Green

Ducks in a row #12