Yesterday afternoon we received some much needed moisture in the form of a rain/snow mix. As of yesterday there were a couple of wildfires burning near Denver, so the moisture was well received by nearly everyone.
As soon as the snow melts off, we will begin aerating all of our tees and approaches with a tractor mounted aerator. We are using 5/8" hollow tines set at 2"x2" apart that should create a hole about 4" deep.
As soon as the plugs have had a chance to dry a bit, we sweep them up and add the plugs to our compost facility.
The next and final step in the process is to fill the new holes with sand. We apply a mix of topdressing sand and bunker sand from G&S Solutions for this. Once the sand has dried we work it into the holes using a steel keystone mat and apply water with a few irrigation cycles.
For about the next week the tees will feel soft underfoot, but as the holes fill in and heal, the tees and approaches will firm up and be back to normal very quickly. We know the aerification process can be a distraction to our guests, but it is necessary to relieve compaction and thatch that builds up over the course of a season. It also allows water and oxygen to reach the root zone much easier, and with the addition of sand, will provide for a firm playing surface for the coming season. Please bear with us as we complete the process as quickly and with as little disruption as possible. We will be working around play as best we can, so if you encounter our crew please allow them to move out of your way before proceeding. Thank you for your patience, pictures will follow soon.
