Today we were finally able to get back out on the golf course with a vengeance! Although the temperature was only 24* this morning, there was a strong wind that helped things to dry out. Below, Jerry Dalton has started his annual trip around the course aerifying. Our roll-over aerifier operates by simply rolling behind the tractor and pulling cores of organic material out, much like our greens aerifier. Jerry is able to do the entire property, wall to wall, multiple times through the winter, weather permitting. Just as with any of our playing surfaces, aerification is very important to overall turf quality and soil health. This type of practice can aide in reducing compaction, gas exchange, and offer a place for sand to be incorporated into the soil.
Below: Christian is working on aerifying the smaller croquet court this afternoon. After all the plugs were removed from the small upper lawn, we hand top-dressed the sand into the holes. As you can see on the very bottom, we were able to broom the sand in to ensure each hole is filled to the top! This will help firm the surface much quicker, where normally you would wait and allow rain to wash the sand into the holes.
