April 2010

Shoreline Golf Links Spring Aerating of Putting Greens

Due to the rains during the month of April Shoreline Golf Links will be aerating the putting greens May 19 and 20, with a new method called Dryject Aerating. 

 The process is unique in design and there is nothing like it in the turf industry. The machine injects water at 3200 psi. The water enters the surface of the turf making a small hole and as it penetrates the soil the water expands in diameter. As the water passes the manifold of the machine it creates a venture suction which pulls the dry material out of the hopper and into the hole that is being made. The result is a small hole on the surface, and a larger hole filled with material through the profile of the green. Now the depth and the diameter are affected by the condition of the soil profile, the more resistance the hole loses some depth and becomes wider in diameter. The average is about three to five inches deep and about one half inch in diameter.

 There are many advantages;

-         There is no upheaval that can be caused with a conventional aerator, as the tines are pulling the plug, so the surface is virtually undisturbed.

-         There is less material used, because the material goes into the hole there is very little left on the surface.

-         There is an opportunity to add amendments directly into the soil profile. This puts the material right into the root zone, instead of applying it to the surface and watering it in, which may get bound up in the thatch layer.

-         As stated the surface is virtually undisturbed with little material on the surface which for the golfers leaves a much more playable green.

-         The healing time should be faster, because of the smaller hole, but also because the sand doesn’t have to get brushed and worked into the holes, the turf isn’t damaged from all that dragging.