Fairway Topdressing

The fairways here at MCC consist namely of native soils (silt and clay for southeastern Michigan).  While this soil has greater water and nutrient holding capacity, they drain very poorly.  Because of advancements in irrigation and fertilization the focus on soil types is more geared towards drainage.  That's why certain fairways (3,4,14,17) are sand topdressed, the soil consistency needs to be altered. 
The practice of sand topdressing these fairways benefits both golfers and maintenance staff members.  As more sand accumulates, fairways become firmer and drier.  These two traits lead to less traffic restrictions (i.e. carts and equipment).  Drier fairways are also less prone to disease, such as brown patch and pythium.  These two fungal diseases require moist conditions to become active, which is less likely to occur in sand based soils. 
The cost of fairway topdressing varies based on the type of sand, equipment and labor hours.  It is definetly not cheap.  However, an arguement can be made that the price of topdressing is offset by a decline in the need for chemicals (fungicides) and an increase in cart fee's and overall rounds played (less restrictions on carts and course closings). 

Large precipitation events will always be a nightmare for general managers and superintendents, there will always be course closings.  But a fairway topdressing program could significantly decrease the longevity of a heavy rains negative effects.  Potentially, carts and large equipment could be out mere hours after a large storm with little danger of damaging the turf or sacrificing playbility.  The crew will be topdressing the previous mentioned fairways over the next couple of days, taking advantage of the nice weather.  For a more in-depth look at fairway topdressing / aerification, read this article by Stanley J. Zontek of the USGA:

Fairway Topdressing