Putting Green Work

We worked at the putting green through most of the day today.  The work involved aerating the green with solid tines, topdressing the green with sand to fill the holes, then overseeding the entire green.

The holes allow for better air exchange between the soil profile and the air outside the green.  Along with air exchange, once these holes are filled with sand, they provide a seed bed for the new seed that was applied.

We applied the sand at a heavier rate than a normal topdressing.  We used the same machine that we use for our normal scheduled topdressing, but the spreader on the back was different.  This spreader drops the sand straight down out of the back of the spreader rather that spreading the sand with a spinner attachment.  Once the putting green was topdressed, the spreader attachment was put back on the topdresser, and our normal scheduled topdressing was completed on the course.

After the topdressing was applied, the sand was worked into the green with push brooms.  Then a light drag mat was used to level off any inconsistencies in the sand.  After the drag mat was finished, seed was applied.

The final act of the day involved fertilizing, then watering.  We used an organic fertilizer on the green, so an odor may be present near the putting green for the next few days.

The putting green will remain closed while the recovery continues.