Hollow Tining and Top Dressing

[Britishshooting]

This isn't a moan, after genuine anaswers so I understand the process a little better.

I'm at several golf clubs currently and the hollow tine and top dressing at each club has varied massively, what are the reasons for this? Just different approaches by different green keepers or is it down to soil conditions, type and other variables as well as whatever they are individually trying to achieve?

1st golf course was done early january
2nd Golf course was done around a month a go.
3rd Course is having it done this week however it seems they cut some form of lines into the greens a few weeks ago prior to me playing here which have almost fully recovered. It doesn't look like scarification but not sure what this would be, maybe verticut?

Courses 1 and 3 are renowned for having very good greens so it just seems odd to me that they have such differing approaches. Course 2 the greens are so so, never as quick as 1 & 3.


Genuinely interested if anybody is quite clued up in this field.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Ours is planned, but this year the greenstaff took the descision to do it early as the ground and weather conditions were favourable. Sometimes in the past it has been done later as planned and the healing process has taken longer due to unusual weather conditions after.

 

[fundy]

the 3rd course treatment is vertidraining, helps loosen compacted soil to improve drainage and root growth

as for why different courses do different things I expect theres many reasons. a course I used to be at did it the week they were able to hire the machine for eg! courses that have their own machinery tend to do it depending on ground conditions and weather forecast. lots of differing opinions as to what best too which play a major part in the variety I expect, at the end of the day if what the course is doing is working then they should keep doing it, if its not find a different option that does

 

[richart]

We do it in April after we have hosted the Selbourne Salver. Big amateur ranking tournament, so the course is always in great condition around this time of year. End of April, beginning of May not so.

Surprised clubs would do it in January, February, bearing in mind the weather, and lack of growth at that time of the year.

 

[Britishshooting]

We do it in April after we have hosted the Selbourne Salver. Big amateur ranking tournament, so the course is always in great condition around this time of year. End of April, beginning of May not so.

Surprised clubs would do it in January, February, bearing in mind the weather, and lack of growth at that time of the year.

I stopped playing the course that did them that early, there was no improvement up until the beginning of this month really and the amount of sand i'd carry home with me as they flooded the greens with it was doing my head in. Whereas the course that did them in Feb have already improved probably moreso actually than those done in Jan.

 

[Andy]

Why not ask the head greenkeeper for each course, they will have their reasons as they know the undersoil conditions best and what needs improvement.

 

[Britishshooting]

Why not ask the head greenkeeper for each course, they will have their reasons as they know the undersoil conditions best and what needs improvement.

I only know one head greenskeeper, the other two I wouldn't know by face or name. I was intrigued to ask the greenkeepers undertaking the work when I played on Monday but to be honest they were hard at it so I thought best to leave them be.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I only know one head greenskeeper, the other two I wouldn't know by face or name. I was intrigued to ask the greenkeepers undertaking the work when I played on Monday but to be honest they were hard at it so I thought best to leave them be.

In my experience, green staff don't mind members coming up and asking pertinent questions regarding their work and what is going on with the course. Better to have one well informed member in the 19th able to articulate the reasoning than ten would be green keepers who know nothing but think they do holding court

 

[Lord Tyrion]

You get to see your greenkeepers? I have been at my current club for 2 years and I have never seen one, genuinely never. That is not a criticism, they just work different hours to the ones that I play.

You can't ask a question to someone you never meet though.

 

[patricks148]

the slits at the 3rd course could be Graden( slit and injected with Kiln dried sand) or vericut.

Clubs up here one the whole have started doing green maintenance during the full growing season, or at the end of it then multiple top dress over the winter.

Nairn has pin tinned and top dressed a few times recently, the purpose is to get as much sand into the surfaces as possible over the next couple of months.

 

[Grant85]

I believe the rationale is if you do it in warmer weather, the green will recover far quicker and be good for play, maybe within a week.

Do it in January and the greens may look bumpy and hollowed for a few weeks. Certain clubs may take advantage of an unseasonably warm week and get this done at short notice in a winter month, where it would otherwise be not the right conditions.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Ours was done a few weeks ago, and we have had quite a mild winter with not a lot of rain in the grand scheme of things. The subsequent rain and favourable weather has definately helped the healing process.
We are lucky in that our new head greenkeeper sends out regular notes on the club emails, keeping all members informed of whats going to happen and the reasons for it. It is a very positive action, and well recieved.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Our Greens Committee meet once a month and part of the minutes that are published on the notice board, is the head greenkeepers report and he tells what work has been done, what is planned and why?
Have a look next time you visit those courses and see if they do anything similar.

 

[Britishshooting]

You get to see your greenkeepers? I have been at my current club for 2 years and I have never seen one, genuinely never. That is not a criticism, they just work different hours to the ones that I play.

You can't ask a question to someone you never meet though.

Honestly it's the first time I played the new local track and I counted 12 men, all doing a variety of jobs. Never see greenskeepers myself however Monday was likely an exception as I booked the day off work and was playing in their working hours. Never see greenskeepers at any other course during late evening or at all over weekends.

Good to see the variety in when Greenskeepers do it and how they communicate with members.

 

[jim8flog]

The first question is
Do you mean hollow tine and top dress or do you mean pencil tine and no top dress.

Pencil tines are done simply for drainage and similarly slitting is often for the same reason and partly to break up compaction this can be done at any time of the year depending on the weather and course conditions.

We use an 'earthquake' tiner as well at this time of year to aid drainage and break up compaction but this is normally on fairways and approaches only.

Our main hollow tine, top dress and overseed is done in April and again in late August. This does what it say removes soil and fills with a sand and seed mix. We occasionally also slit tine sand and seed fill with a different machine but we are trying to change the predominant grasses to bent.

 

[User20204]

Ours were done twice last year and the greens were fantastic yet this year their plan is to only do them once, with bigger cores removed, which they did last week and our greens are terrible just now, sure they will come good though.

 

[Britishshooting]

The first question is
Do you mean hollow tine and top dress or do you mean pencil tine and no top dress.

Pencil tines are done simply for drainage and similarly slitting is often for the same reason and partly to break up compaction this can be done at any time of the year depending on the weather and course conditions.

We use an 'earthquake' tiner as well at this time of year to aid drainage and break up compaction but this is normally on fairways and approaches only.

Our main hollow tine, top dress and overseed is done in April and again in late August. This does what it say removes soil and fills with a sand and seed mix. We occasionally also slit tine sand and seed fill with a different machine but we are trying to change the predominant grasses to bent.

Honestly I have no shame in admitting I wouldn’t personally know the difference however each of the courses greens have looked somewhat identical during this process and the course status of the most recent to undertake these works describes it as I mentioned above. So I assume all the same procedure unless visually there quite similar.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

What type of courses are they? Links, parkland? Different treatments for different types of grasses.

 

[garyinderry]

We have been sanded and what not last week.


We also get some machine in that cuts big lines. Been told it is to lift thatch out from under the soil. Done wonders for the fairways and greens. So much firmer this last 2 years. Brutal to putt on but worth it in the end.

 

[Britishshooting]

What type of courses are they? Links, parkland? Different treatments for different types of grasses.

All I believe are in clay areas, however 2 are very well draining with divots that appear very peat like.

One Is parkland front 9 with a very inland links feel to the back 9. (Jan Works)

The other is very much a rolling course with a somewhat links feel and trees strategically placed but nothing like a parkland. (April works)

The final is poor draining and clay Noticeable difference in fairways and greens quality but it’s playable.