Why aerate?

Yes, it's that time of year to use the "A word"....aerate.  Aeration week kicks off for us next Monday morning when we will begin aerating greens, tees, approaches and high-traffic areas.  We are well aware that this necessary evil is not popular with golfers; how could it be?  We often hear, "The greens are rolling so well right now, why are we going to ruin them by punching holes everywhere?"  Ruin them?  Quite the contrary actually.  Without core aerating our greens at least twice a season, they would be an absolute disaster.  It wouldn't take long for the thatch build up to soar to detrimental levels.  Excessive thatch build up retains water at the surface causing the greens to become soft and spongy.  It also creates a virtually impenetrable layer that makes it extremely difficult for oxygen, water, nutrients and control products to the reach the target area - the roots.  Before long, our greens would be overcome with disease and there would be large voids of turf as the disease spreads and kills the grass.  Let's just say, it wouldn't be pretty.

Here is a short video clip put together by the USGA Green Section Record that further explains why aeration is necessary:

click on image for video