This Tuesday the turf maintenance team will perform the monthly vertical cutting and topdressing practices on the putting greens. These practices help to smooth and firm up the putting surfaces.
In addition, there have been a variety of turf health issues on the 9th green this season. These stem from poor drainage and airflow in the soil profile. Why only the 9th green? That is because it is the only “push up” green on the golf course. In other words, the soil profile is a shallow layer of sand on top of native soil instead of a sand profile that sits above a drainage layer. Fortunately, of the two grass species in the putting greens: bentgrass and annual bluegrass, the less desirable annual bluegrass is the primary species that has been affected.
Chemical applications have been made to the 9th green throughout this season to treat the festering pathogens in the soil. This has cured the disease, but we are still left with summer annual bluegrass decline primarily due to poor drainage. This Tuesday we will take steps to help correct the ultimate cause of these problems by using a “bayonet” tine aerification on this green in order to improve soil drainage and increase airflow. We will also use this opportunity to introduce more bentgrass seed in order to promote the more desirable grass species of our putting greens.
Photos of this treatment are below. As you can see, this practice is minimally invasive and any effect on playability will be relatively minor.
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