So far this season many members have been of the opinion that although the greens have been rolling quickly and smoothly, but also feel that they are too firm to "hold" shots. Those that played following our Maintenance Morning on Monday will have noticed a significant difference in how the greens are now "holding" shots. That is due to the venting procedure we completed on the worst compacted areas of our greens. This process is a form of aeration using small diameter solid tines to pierce holes at very tight spacing and at about a depth of 4". The tines we went out with on Monday were only .2" in diameter. This cultural practice relieves compaction and allows for improved oxygen exchange in the rootzone which is key to the overall health of the turf. Following the venting, the greens are rolled and the resulting holes become hardly noticeable. If you are concerned about the playability of the greens following this procedure, just ask our very own Paul Girard how he felt playing immediately after the process...he shot a solid 69. We will be scheduling greens venting to be completed every 10-14 days or as we feel necessary.
Here are some photos of the venting process:
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| .2" diameter solid tine |
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| Toro ProCore in action - 60 tines working to relieve compaction |
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| resulting holes from the venting |
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| the holes disappear following rolling, but the benefits don't |
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