The revised version of essential maintenance guidelines has allowed us to get some much needed oxygen in the rootzone in the form of aeration. Although we have far less traffic on our greens resulting in less (recent) compaction, we do have a historical issue with compaction which has built up over a period of many years. We have addressed this issue by punching holes on our greens almost every month for the past 18 months. Regular aeration is part of our best practice approach to turf management, by increasing air space in the rootzone we create channels for roots to go deeper, surface water to drain quicker and microbes to be stimulated – breaking down any thatch build up the way nature intended.
Aeration is another vital part of our maintenance program. By keeping oxygen flowing, water moving downwards and a healthy balanced rootzone; we give ourselves the best possible chance of creating the best possible putting surfaces. Less compaction = less thatch = firmer faster greens which will support perennial plants such as bent and fescue which are synonymous with the finest putting surfaces anywhere in the world. While we may be a little off the world’s best greens, we are making rapid progress, all that’s missing is the golfers, hopefully it won’t be too long before play resumes.
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