Dark stain (TWP Dark Walnut) is an amazing thing! Look how that treated lumber blends into the background!
This morning we started to topdress the greens with coarse sand. After the sand is applied, we are aerifying the greens with 5/8" hollow tines. The sand is applied first because it eliminates driving the heavy topdresser across soft greens. when the plugs are picked up, the sand remains and can then be broomed into the aerification holes. While this is an unpopular task among golfers, it isn't nearly as unpopular as having USGA spec greens with failed internal drainage due to the lack of these aggressive practices. Our reports from ISTRC (International Sports Turf Research Center) dictate the aggressiveness of our practices in a given year. They measure the percent organic matter in the various horizons of the rootzone. It's my job to manage that that organic matter and keep it in those acceptable those ranges. In 2 weeks, we will be using the Graden Verticutter to verticut and inject sand in the top inch of the greens.
