Tee aerification was completed this past Monday. The crew did an amazing job in cold and wet conditions to complete this task.
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| aerification clean-up on #11 tee |
We also finished verticutting fairways this week with our new Wiedenmann Super 600. The Super 600 is a heavy duty verticutter and sweeper. The primary use for this piece of equipment is to verticut fairways and sweep up the debris all at the same time.
Verticutting is an extremely important cultural practice because it removes thatch. Thatch is a layer of living and dead organic matter that occurs between the turf and soil surface. The primary component of thatch is grass stems and roots. It accumulates as these plant parts buildup faster than they can decompose. Excessive thatch creates a favorable environment for pests and disease and an unfavorable growing environment for grass roots. But most importantly, thatch interferes with water infiltration into the soil.
Verticutting is an important tool utilized to manage thatch and achieve firm, fast playing conditions.
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| the Wiedenmann Super 600 verticutting fairways |
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| 1.5" spacing |
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| 2 loads of organic matter removed from #13 fairway |
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| finished product on #17 fairway |
The Wiedenmann's capacity is 5.9 cubic yards. We pulled out about two loads of organic matter per par 4 fairway. In total, we pulled out over 26 loads of organic matter from all of the fairways removing over 150 cubic yards.