The turf maintenance team has begun pulling a core on the closed greens this morning. Removing as much of the old profile as possible before next summer is crucial to the success of the greens. Scheduling this core aeration before winter allows us to improve oxygen and water movement during this crucial time of root development. The new Bentgrass sod also needs to be aerified as much as possible due to the layering that can develop during establishment. This new sod has been grown on a very specific soil profile at the sod farm. Often times the new profile does not exactly match, so water and nutrients can get "trapped" in the sod and not be allowed to flow down into the new soil profile. By poking holes in the new sod, we are giving the new roots access to the new profile so that the sod can grow long, healthy roots before next summer. This cultivation of the root zone, coupled with the two planned aerifications this spring, should give us the greatest chance for a successful summer.
