Greens Improving Rapidly After Aerification!

It has been one week since we aerified the greens. I am very pleased with the rapid rate of turf recovery. Playability will improve significantly in the next few days. The days that immediately follow aerification make it difficult to achieve a clean cut because of the sand topdressing. While the sand helps with long term playability and improved health, the short term result is a poor turf cut. The sand wears the mower blades almost immediately during a mowing. We are already on our third blade sharpening in one week. Under normal conditions we sharpen blades once per week.

Other factors that influence the post-aerification playability are fertilization and growth regulator applications. Before, during and after aerification we increase fertilization and stop applying growth regulators. This promotes rapid healing and leaf growth. Once I am confident we have achieved substantial recovery, we reduce fertilization and begin applying growth regulators again. We made our first growth regulator application yesterday. The substantial rain we expect in the next twenty four hours will further enhance recovery but will limit our ability to mow. I expect us to be able to mow by Saturday morning at the latest.

We are turning the corner and the putting surfaces will markedly improve over the next few days.

Thank you for your patience!