By now, I am sure you have seen the horrific hydraulic leak on the 6th hole. This is the result of a hose breaking, and leaking while the mower dripped over 4 gallons of hydraulic oil in the intermediate rough and across the tee. Today, we aerified/topdressed and seeded these areas. On the tee, the green sand masks some of the damage.
Oil kills the turf in 2 ways. Primarily, it is the initial heat of the oil that kills the turf on contact. In surrounding areas, the oil can act as a magnifying glass and scold the turf. Once the oil is on the turf, it is important to be patient. The initial reaction by many is to grab a hose and immediately water it. This can be even more troublesome because you simply spread the oil around, soaking more turf. The best option is to initially do nothing and let it run it's course. Aerifying will help by stimulating some new growth and helping create a small seedbed for the ryegrass we put down. My hope is in 2 weeks it will be well on its way to healing.
