Aeration
It is April and
spring is finally here. The flowers are beginning to bloom, temperatures are
rising and the course is getting back into peak form. Now why on earth would
the Grounds Team decide to go and destroy the course for us? Again! Yes, every
golfer out there would know that I am referring to Spring Aeration. That time
of year, when the course is just beginning to dry out and firm up. Then, the Grounds
Team decides to poke holes and cover the greens with sand.
There are many
reasons why the Grounds Team pushes to have the course aerated at least twice a
year, to go along with additional cultivating practices throughout the season.
Almost all of these reasons have to do with the perception of how golf courses should
play; with most of the focus being on the high demand and playability of greens
each and every day. The performance of greens is often judged by how they
perform on the surface and so they should be. All golfers want greens that are
smooth, fast paced, receptive and most importantly - consistent from hole #1
through #18. It is often the performance underneath the surface that allows us
to push the limits for golfers. The 3 main reasons why we aerate multiple times throughout the year are to relieve compaction, increase rooting structure and remove thatch from the upper soil profile.
As the days and
weeks go by, compaction is an inevitable occurrence on greens. It is caused by our daily maintenance practices which includes mowing and rolling along with additional equipment that travel over greens each day. However, the major cause
of compaction is from the traffic accumulated by the sheer number of golfers
walking on the greens. The typical foursome takes over 300 footsteps per
green, with an average of 50 foursomes per day, this equates to 15,000 steps each day!
When we aerate greens, we relieve compaction by increasing soil porosity; which
is the flow of air throughout the soil. From a turf management stand point,
increasing airflow increases void space between soil particles which in turn
increases the rate of infiltration or drainage. Increasing air flow also
creates an overall better growing environment for turf which reduces the need
for fungicide applications as disease pressure is reduced.
So what does
adding additional air flow to the greens mean for golfers? Relieving compaction
might not seem necessary at this time of year, but lets take a moment and think
of this scenario. It is the middle of July and you are 100 yards from the green
on the very first hole. The pin is at the front and you land your wedge on the
green and in front of the pin. Your excitement has quickly turned to
frustration as you watch your ball take one massive hop followed by a few more
and your ball rests at the back of the green. What once looked like a birdie
putt from within 15 ft has turned in to a 90 ft cross country putt down hill.
Good luck making birdie let along trying to avoid a 3-putt on the very first
hole.
A healthy root structure
is arguable the most important factor to allow the Grounds Team to push the
limits every day. Without a well structured root system, we are unable to push
the playability of our greens by double cutting from time to time or rolling 5-7
days per week. These maintenance practices cause additional stress to the turf
and without healthy roots we are increasing the chance of disease and even loss
of turf altogether. When we aerate turf the additional air flow in the soil allows the roots to easily grow into the
air spaces provided. Lastly, when we aerate turf, we will sever the roots
directly underneath. If this is done during the growing season then this will actually
increase overall root mass by stimulating root growth all around. The more root
mass/depth that we have; the more we can push the limits on our golf course
each and every day.
Earlier I talked
about the removal of thatch being one of the key reasons why Grounds Teams aerate
golf courses. So what is thatch? Thatch is the accumulation of an organic layer
consisting of dead/decomposing leaves, stems and roots. It will act like a
sponge and can hold multiple amounts of its own weight in water at the surface.
When thatch is in excess and wet conditions are at hand, it can contribute to
mechanical damage such as scalping. This is caused by the front and rear
rollers settling in this sponge like material which can cause the mower blades
to cut turf at much lower height. By removing thatch through aeration and
filling the holes with sand, we create an avenue for air and water to penetrate
into the soil which creates better turf all around.
Now that I have
told you some of the benefits of aeration and how it affects you as a golfer, I
am going to talk about what we have done this spring. There are always
obstacles every time aeration is being planned. Weather, labour resources,
equipment and the demand for the golf course staying opened are the main
obstacles that come to mind. What the weather is going to do is often an
obstacle that you have a game plan and a back up plan if the weather decides to
take a turn for the worst.
I have provided a few websites
below for additional information if you wish to read more on the topic:
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