Fairway Aerification

Is it May already? The turf thinks so and the time has come to aerify fairways.  While this process is a hindrance to golfers and an eye-sore to members, it is a necessary practice to ensure quality fairways throughout the summer months.

Fooled by the mild winter, the turf in the fairways has been growing and accumulating thatch quicker compared to a normal year.  Fairway aerification removes a percentage of this thatch, which will provide better surface drainage and a firmer playing surface. 

Along with thatch removal, aerification will alleviate some of our compaction issues.  The lack of frost and cold temperatures never allowed the ground to freeze, and moisture remained near the soil surface.  Traffic on saturated soils compacts the ground extremely quickly, resulting in poor turf density.  Compaction and saturated soils combine to form another problem.  Air movement is very limited under these conditions, but aerifying the fairways opens up channels for air exchange.  Poa roots are not equipped for total anaerobic conditions and this will allow the roots access to oxygen.

The weather has been perfect for fairway aerification and the crew has nearly completed the daunting task.  Recovery time might be slightly prolonged due to the cold night time temperatures but we expect excellent results.  Enjoy.