April Aerification

There are few words that strike greater fear and provoke more misunderstanding in our industry than “aerification”.  Yet properly timed and executed aerification of putting greens yields many positive results for the management of organic matter in the primary root zone, culminating in optimum playing surfaces.  We are scheduled to aerify the front-9 greens on Monday April 4th, and the back-9 greens on Tuesday April 5th, thus allowing the front-9 to be open for golf play on Tuesday.  This year, there will likely be an added challenge of dealing with a frost delay.  We must wait for the frost to completely melt before beginning any work on the golf course turf.  See our previous post on frost, for more information regarding its effect on turfgrass.

In the simplest terms, aerification is the necessary process of punching holes in the greens to allow oxygen, water, and nutrients into the root-zone profile, along with reducing compaction and thatch, which allows for maximum root growth.  Topdressing greens with sand (filling in the holes and adding new sand into the root-zone mix) aids in the recovery and growth process, along with smoothing out the surface.  These agronomic practices will ensure long-term health of the greens and prepare them for the summer stress of our climate.

Once greens have been completed, we will begin aerifying tees and fairways.  We will not be closing the golf course during this process, but will schedule this work to have as minimal impact on golf play as possible.

Recovery Periods

Following the aforementioned invasive but critical agronomic practices, the golf course needs roughly two to three weeks to “grow-in” and return to the standard of conditioning that Illini Country Club’s members and guests require.  During this time, you may experience softer, slower, bumpier greens containing many sand-filled holes.  Once the surfaces have sufficiently healed, greens will dramatically improve in firmness and ball-speed.  We understand that is an inconvenience for golfers, but keep in mind that the long-term benefits far outweigh the temporary disruptions.

Thank you for your support of our agronomic practices and programs.  Because of your support, and the excellent execution by our golf course maintenance team, Illini Country Club will continue to provide premium playing conditions to its members and guests.

Prepared by, Curtis Keller

Golf Course Update

February 2016 was the most abnormally warm month ever recorded, topping January 2016.  This warming trend allowed us to open the golf course on March 5^th,  marking it one of the earliest official openings to date.  Currently,  growing degree days are tracking well ahead of average years.  This is making it challenging for the Green Department crew to keep up with the quick spring like progressions.  Usually the transition from winter to spring is a slow gradual development, allowing us to fully prepare the golf course for play.  2016 has been the exception. Record breaking warm days and warm nights have soil temperatures on the rise creating a quick green up. 

During the last few weeks the Green Department has been scrambling to get the golf course brought up to playable conditions.  To expedite the golf course preparation process we have brought back some of the seasonal crew members earlier than normal.  All playing surfaces have been mowed at least once.  Greens have also been rolled for smoothness and consistency. The first few mows will be considerably higher than our normal, in season mowing heights.  The objective is to slowly cut off the old winterized leaf tissue at the tops of the plants.  This will prevent the grass from going into shock and possibly re-winterizing during the cooler nights and early mornings.  Once debris cleanup is completed, we will move to bunker rehabilitation.  Bunkers will be decontaminated, edged and sand depths will be evaluated.  Sand will be added and/or redistributed as needed throughout the bunker to maintain a consistent depth and fair playing conditions. 

Spring aeration will begin Monday, April 4^th.  Greens and sand based tees will be core aerated, while native soiled tees and fairways will be solid deep tined.  On Monday, April 4th, the front nine greens will be aerated followed by the back nine greens on Tuesday, April 5th.  On Tuesday, April 5th, the back nine will be closed for golf play.  However, the front nine will remain open.