With the recent warmer temperatures everything has had a flush of growth, including the greens. The recovery period from our recent aerification in March was only approximately 10 days. Since that time, we have been constantly trying to thin out the turf canopies and return the green speeds back to normal. The most recent stimpmeter reading was 11 and rolling true. To get to this point we used many different techniques in our arsenal including frequency of mowing, chemical applications, and verticutting. Verticutting has been our best method for thinning the turf canopy and reducing the amount of larger leaf blades that slow ball roll. Below is a video of Billy Grisard, Foreman, verticutting the 17th green.
We are expected to perform our second aerification practice on April 30th and May 1st which will carry us through the year until September when our next major aerification date is scheduled. We will do minor aerifications and ventings throughout the summer as stressful conditions present their selves.