We are starting to fine tune greens today, switching to walk mowers as opposed to a riding greens mower (triplex), that’s used until we get through the sand that’s present from this Spring’s aeration. Walk mowing allows us the ability to mow lower as well as use groomer units to promote an upright growth habit. We are still at the mercy of Mother Nature and we are waiting on consistent warm weather to take a big step to our traditional summer conditions.
The 2 most recently sodded croquet lawns are being topdressed and aerified with 1/4" tines. This process, combined with rolling and mowing, will smooth out the lawns over the next month. Next week, we will be aerating and topdressing all three lawns again. Unfortunately, with new sod, it's a process that takes time to correct but attainable in a month or so. Greens are always better if you grow them from seed for a variety of reasons. The downside of seed is that it would take to long to grown in. If the lawns were seeded, they would not be ready for play until the first week of July. There are trade-offs for both establishment methods.