First Step to Firm Approaches

A major goal for the year is to improve the playability, firmness, and appearance of the approaches.  This area of the course is extremely important, yet it is often neglected or simply overlooked.  Approaches often take on more water than they need because of the proximity to the greens.  Excess water sometimes runs off the front of the green and sprinklers overlap to affect non-target locations.

To improve upon our current conditions, we will be aerifying, topdressing, verticutting, and changing the fertility and chemical inputs on the approaches.  Basically, we will treat them more like greens.  This is another example of taking out the bad and putting in some good.  On Monday, we removed some organic matter, thatch, and compacted soil.  We added some sand and organic fertilizer to improve growing conditions.  We will be doing this a few times this summer along with verticutting and light topdressing.  It shouldn't be long until the approaches putt well and also handle a bump and run for those who prefer that technique.  Please bear with us while we tear things up to make things better.