Closed Week Update #4 (Thursday)

These numbered updates represent the days of the week, but I'm falling behind as the week rolls along. This post recaps our work on Thursday and I'll have Friday and the weekend coming up next.

The big event of the day was a deep tine aerification on our greens.  On Monday, we punched the greens with 3/8" tines with close spacing at a depth of 4 inches.  This is pretty aggressive and our standard aerification practice performed twice a year.  Since we remove plugs at the same depth each time, a hard layer can form just below the affected zone.



A tractor-mounted aerifier with 5/16 inch tines punched holes at 2x2 inch spacing at a depth of 8 inches.  What all that means is our greens are going to be feeling really good after so many holes in such a short amount of time.  This helps our roots, our drainage, and oxygen exchange.  Aerification makes everything better.  We followed the aerifier with a cocoa mat to drag the sand into the holes and a roller to smooth the surface.

Work on the 8th hole green-side bunkers continued as we shaped the floor of the front bunker by adding over a foot of clay.  The bunker was way too deep and narrow causing all shots to settle in the same location.  The renovated design will offer more playable space and less difficult shots which I suspect our members will prefer.

Finally, the contractors were busy installing the new valves that connect the 10 inch mainline to our 6 inch loop near the 1st tee. Also, trenches were dug along the tunnel walls and across cart paths on #'s 8 and 4.