With greens coring (as they say in New Zealand) here,
our Marketing Director, Cecilia Ashley, asked if I had anything on our blog about
why we core the greens. I hadn’t yet and wasn’t
planning on it as I tell the same story every year. We’re removing thatch, getting more air
porosity and better water movement. The
same boring thing you hear every year and you don’t feel any better about the
process. It’s still holes, sand, bumpy,
and slow.
So what if I put it this way. For the last 18 years, you have arguably played the
best greens in the South Bay, if not some of the best in Northern
California. Do you remember the time you
sank that 25 footer for a skin? Do you
remember the first time you went under 80 because you rolled in a smooth 5
footer to finish on number 18? Do you
recall the time you had your friends over from the best private club in the Bay
Area wishing their greens were like Cinnabar’s?
Sure there is a great deal of skill involved, but the first thing to be
blamed for missing out on 79 isn’t going to be the putter?
The greens at Cinnabar Hills are some of the best in
California because of the process and yes, unfortunately for 6 weeks a year,
it’s an inconvenience. I’m told a colonoscopy
is an inconvenience too, but it’s part of the process as we age. Greens aeration can’t be that bad… or can it?
P.S.
For those who see past the sand.
1. Fertilize the greens one week prior to get them growing
2. Core greens with 0.5" coring tine on 1.5" centers
3. Remove 5 yards of organic matter and soil from every green
4. Clean excess sand off of surface
5. Apply gypsum
6. Apply sand at 16 tons per acre
7. Deep tine aerate with 5/16" solid tine
8. Drag sand into holes with metal mat
9. Blow sand off of greens
10.Seed greens with bentgrass
11.Drag sand again with coco mat
12.Roll greens
13.Change cup
14. Fertilize with organic fertilizer next day
15. First cut 3 days prior
16. Additional sand to top off holes the next week
17. Apply wetting agent to naturally hydrophobic sand
18.Watch them grow
19. Enjoy great greens until we aerate again in August
P.S.
For those who see past the sand.
1. Fertilize the greens one week prior to get them growing
2. Core greens with 0.5" coring tine on 1.5" centers
3. Remove 5 yards of organic matter and soil from every green
4. Clean excess sand off of surface
5. Apply gypsum
6. Apply sand at 16 tons per acre
7. Deep tine aerate with 5/16" solid tine
8. Drag sand into holes with metal mat
9. Blow sand off of greens
10.Seed greens with bentgrass
11.Drag sand again with coco mat
12.Roll greens
13.Change cup
14. Fertilize with organic fertilizer next day
15. First cut 3 days prior
16. Additional sand to top off holes the next week
17. Apply wetting agent to naturally hydrophobic sand
18.Watch them grow
19. Enjoy great greens until we aerate again in August
Seems so easy now that I’ve written it down.
