GREENS AERATION
IMPORTANT COURSE MAINTENANCE HAS TAKEN PLACE ON GREENS THIS WEEK.
HOLLOW TINING - WHAT IS IT?
It is the physical removal of cores of turf from a playing surface. the holes are generally 13 - 16 mm in diameter and of varying depths depending on the reason for the tine however in our case we're an using 8mm core in order to minimise disruption to the playing surface and there fore your enjoyment of the greens. the cores are ejected, blown off and removed. When completed, a smaller mass of sand will occupy the same area of the green.
The coring helps address the problem of thatch. (Thatch is a build up of grass stems, roots, and debris that settle and accumulate over time.) A thin layer is acceptable and needed i may add, but to much thatch will hold water like a sponge. Tining removes the accumulation of matted fiber in the root zone. It allows the exchange of poor soil for a better one through top dressing. that is why the greens are normally covered in sandy topdressing immediately after they're cored. Coring also is a good form of gas exchange for oxygen to move in and co2 to be released.
We top dress immediately subsequent to the hollow coring. We fill the hole created by the coring with a sand compatible to our root zone. this will firm and regulrise the surface as well as dilute the thatch layer and improve surface drainage. We follow the coring with the top dresser to ensure the fastest possible return to play. Please note that not all holes will be fully filled with the first application of topdressing but we will continue a program of filling until we are satisfied.
