Aeration Update on Greens

I want to post a short update on the completed greens aeration and show what we are attempting to accomplish with this practice.  The picture on the left shows the aeration holes in the soil profile.  The cores we pulled removed the organic matter, the dark layer near the surface, and sand was used to fill those holes.  As aeration is continually used, more of the organic matter will be removed which will allow for more rapid water infiltration and air exchange.

You can click on this picture for a larger closeup of the green profile.  The greens are heeling well.  It has just now been two weeks since we have aerated (these pictures we taken 10 days after aeration), and the greens have also been exposed to 5 frosts since it has been done.  By postponing this practice until later in the season, slower recovery because of low temperatures can be an issue.  The most recent USGA Green Section Record refers to an article discussing this topic: Understanding the Risks of Coring at Non-traditional Times.  Despite the cooler temperatures, we believe the green are healing well.