This afternoon, starting at 4:00 pm, we will begin our spring aerification.  We've been getting a lot of compliments about the greens from our guests and new members and I know it may seem counterproductive to put a bunch of holes in a surface that seems just fine.  In order to keep the greens in the best shape possible we have to do some things that are not so pleasant.  Aerification is the most obvious and disruptive practice, and the most important.  We also, from time to time, verticut, topdress, flush, and of course, fertilize.  All these can impact play, but they are worth the trouble.

To maintain the firm, yet receptive surface you've come to expect, we need to remove some of the old and put in some new.  As we've done for the past few years, we'll be using smaller tines and closer spacing.  So, we will have many small holes that heal a bit quicker while impacting a greater amount of surface area. The greens should heal up within two weeks. Recovery time in the spring is much longer than fall due to soil temps. Last September we were healed up in less than a week.

If you missed it last time, here is a post from spring, 2010 that details the aerification process we will be following the next few days.