Aerating Greens

[JonW]

I joined a golf club last June after 20 years away from the game.

Since joining the club I’ve noticed that the greens have never been aerated. The greens aren’t great and definitely need some TLC!

Q1. Is there any ‘technical’ reason why they shouldn’t have been aerated in that time or is it just poor maintenance?

Q2. When’s the best time for a club to aerate the greens? Is it in the spring when the grass is growing more?

 

[Parsaregood]

I joined a golf club last June after 20 years away from the game.

Since joining the club I’ve noticed that the greens have never been aerated. The greens aren’t great and definitely need some TLC!

Q1. Is there any ‘technical’ reason why they shouldn’t have been aerated in that time or is it just poor maintenance?

Q2. When’s the best time for a club to aerate the greens? Is it in the spring when the grass is growing more?

Surprised to hear a club hasn't done any aeration or maintenance atall? Usually greens will even be tined in the summer after a prolonged period of heavy rain, virtually unheard of for greens not to be aerated. alot of greens maintenance is usually carried out in September/October and theres usually an aeration programme throughout the winter

 

[rulefan]

There should be a year through programme for aeration. Depending on the weather and time of year they would be using solid, hollow or micro tines. Solid not often used on greens. But if they have been micro tining you probably would have noticed any disturbance. Hollow or solid would almost certainly involved top dressing.

 

[JonW]

Yeh, there’s been a lot going on at the club and I suspect that this has slipped down the list (and it’s showing!).

Would you expect a club to own an aeration / tining machine or is this something they’d need to hire in?

 

[rulefan]

Most clubs will have their own kit. Whether its just tacked on to the back of a tractor or self driven walkalong. The job would/should be done too often to keep hiring it in

 

[KenL]

My club only uses the micro ones and they do it a few times across the year. Unless you play within a day or 2 you don't notice them.

 

[Doh]

We did ours in October and it will be done again in the spring before the season starts in time for them to recover. Can't believe any club would forget to do this, isn't the state of the course paramount.

 

[jim8flog]

There are two common types of tine, one is with is very thin 'pencil' tine. This can be done at any time of the year as it is done mainly to aid drainage (ours were done just last week).

The second is a hollow tine which removes plugs of soil which are then refilled with a sand a seed mix. This is mainly done to break up compaction and aerate the greens. It is usually done in early spring and late summer (there was a time when it was done in autumn but most courses in this areas have moved to late summer because the greens recover quickly to leave good surface for winter.


We also use a third method which forces air in the ground via thin hollow tines to slightly lift the soil and break up compaction but this is not common.


Whether or not a club does it may come down to cost and if they have the equipment.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

We have just aerated our greens to help with the drainage recent rains. This has been done a few times in the last year.
Twice a year we have hollow cored and sand filled the greens (which they started to do about 4 years ago), and the difference is night and day now, as our greens are miles better, react so much better with the ball and generally drain down so much better.

 

[Tashyboy]

Am sure I heard one of the lads mention about a kind of tine where there was a kind of rubber crumb inserted, anyone else heard owt.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Very surprised if a club isn't doing it and no surprise the greens need some TLC.

 

[Colonel Bogey]

Am sure I heard one of the lads mention about a kind of tine where there was a kind of rubber crumb inserted, anyone else heard owt.

What?!!!!!!

 

[rulefan]

This is worth watching.

 

[rulefan]

Am sure I heard one of the lads mention about a kind of tine where there was a kind of rubber crumb inserted, anyone else heard owt.

The crumb is applied after the hollow coring instead of or in addition to sand.

 

[Tashyboy]

The crumb is applied after the hollow coring instead of or in addition to sand.

any links Ruley re what it’s like, cheers me man.

 

[Tashyboy]

What?!!!!!!

my first comment was B******s, but I was assured it is cosha ?

 

[rulefan]

any links Ruley re what it’s like, cheers me man.

https://www.turfandrec.com/crumb-rubber-and-natural-turf-work-well-together-researcher-3078/
https://rubber-mulch.co.uk/products_lawn_faq.html
https://rubber-mulch.co.uk/products_lawn_how.html