On Monday June 24th the grounds crew completed a cross tine aerification on south greens and pulled 1/4″ cores on the new putting green behind the clubhouse and smaller greens at the practice facility. This process is very important in maintaining healthy turf through the summer. The continuous mowing, rolling and foot traffic begins to compact the surface of the green restricting proper flow of water, air, and nutrients in the soil which is a keystone to healthy turf. Cross tines were used on the South Greens to achieve the largest possible hole with the least amount of impact on the surface as seen in the picture below. Unfortunately, some soil was brought up by the tines leaving a slightly dirty surface, but this has been cleaned up throughout the week and recent rain has helped greatly.
On Monday we also began the resurfacing project on the upper part of the range tee. This process was completed to smooth out the unevenness of the tee and restore the Bermuda grass population which has deteriorated since the last time this was completed about five years ago. Bermuda grass has been chosen for the range tee surface due to its aggressive growth and recovery capabilities in mid summer when the range tee is at its peak use. The resurfacing process was started with a machine called the Koro Field Top Maker which cuts about 1/2″ deep, removing the turf/soil and processing it into a trailer as pictured below. This process was performed two times to remove all of the turf and thatch from the surface.
On Tuesday, Mottin Golf, a well recognized golf course contractor, arrived with a laser level tractor and skid steer to level the range tee surface. This process restored the surface to its original grade, removing the divot mix which has been applied over the years leaving high and low areas. Sprinkler heads on the range tee were also replaced with a more reliable and modern version.
Wednesday Morning, two tractor trailers arrived with rolls of Patriot Bermuda grass sod. The sod was rolled out through the day by our grounds crew. The sod has since been watered, fertilized, and rolled. In the near future we will be topdressing the tee with sand and begin mowing the tee as soon as possible. It is expected to take 4 to 5 weeks for the tee to heal enough to begin utilizing it for practice.