Following the last aerification process, I wasn't satisfied with the smoothness of the greens. This fall, I brought in the big guy to smooth things out. This is a process we would like to add to both the spring and fall aerification processes moving forward. I think we can get a quicker recovery and better product if we increase the amount of sand we apply to greens during aerification and use this roller the following week.
The first question most people might ask is "aren't you creating a compaction issue?" The short answer is no. Compaction is a huge issue on a high volume golf course, but less of a concern on the sand-based greens. The particle size and structure of sand does not lend itself to compaction like a heavy clay soil. Sand-based greens are far more prone to wear and tear damage than compaction. This allows us to get away with using a 1 1/2 ton roller on them.
This is not a fast process as it takes 20-30 minutes per green in addition to the transport time between greens. Hopefully it will prove worth the time and effort.
