Day 1 is in the books and overall it was successful. We got done in good time and the end product was almost exactly what I wanted. I say almost because we only got about 75 - 80 % of the holes filled. When we punch close to 500,000 holes per green, I don't think 75 - 80 % is too bad. While filling all the holes is nice, it is not the main objective of this aeration.
What I did different this time was leave more sand on the surface. In years past we would fill the holes and have a really clean surface. While I filled the void of thatch with sand in the hole, I didn't do anything to manage the remaining thatch. With the extra sand on the surface and a lot of water, that sand will work in to our existing thatch layer and dilute it. The extra sand on the surface also makes for a smoother roll. Like I have said many times; you have to determine what you want to accomplish when aerating.
I am off to start blowing the sand around on the Mountain course today.
