Cool season tee core aeration

The staff used our verti-drain aerator to pull cores on our cool season tees today.  The main tees on 2,3,5,10,11,14, and small tee on 17 are cool season.  In a majority of the cases, excessive shade has created the need for these tees to be grassed using a cool season mixture.

The aeration went about 5" deep. The machine has a drag that pulled the cores in a pile where the staff hauled the left over material away.  We are dragging the tees, blowing them off, cutting them and will then put some granular gypsum and fertilizer on the tees.  We will be applying a combination of compost and sand into the holes in the next day or two.

The aeration will help the tees in the following ways:

• Improved water penetration and will dry excessively wet areas such as #2 which has water running onto it from near the 17th fairway. The aeration holes themselves will capture, hold and slowly drain water into the soil profile making it more readily available for root systems during dry times.
• Topdressing the tees will help the surface dry quicker and will allow a tee to be placed into the ground more easily.
• Gas exchange, oxygen in, carbon dioxide out.
• Improved rooting into and around]the aeration holes.

Below is a video of the aerator in action.