With the course closed for the season, we are wasting no time using this to our advantage. With a morning temperature of 38*F, we are able to get out on the turf first thing this morning. It doesn't look like we'll have that same opportunity tomorrow with temperatures dropping tonight.
All of our greens are being "deep-tined" with the AirGT machine. Creating deep holes (12"deep) ensures water can move through the greens all winter.
Above- Jerry started aggressive "verticutting" on fairways. This process will be followed up with sand topdressing. This is not a quick process and will probably last about 2 weeks accounting for frost delays etc.
Above- Baldemar is working on aerifying our sand based fairways, where we want a very close hole spacing to maximize the organic matter removed. Again, this is very time consuming but the extra labor is well worth the expense. Once Baldemar finishes on the golf course, he will move to the practice facility where he will aerate the whole tee and chipping approaches.
We have our work cut out for us given a small winter crew size. This is a time of year where many people think we get a break. However, this can be a much more stressful time of year because we have a lot to do that is compressed into a short time period with more weather unknowns. On very cold mornings, even when the ground isn't frozen, we can't work on the turf if frost is present. While we have a whole list of projects to do during those cold times, it's like working 1/2 days on the golf course.