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That necessary evil

Slammin'SAM

Slammin'SAM

Never a flatbelly
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Aug 28, 2009
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Augusta GA
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Rare play
It is that time of year here, I guess. I am talking about time for core aeration of our greens, when they punch out the quarter inch plugs and then top dress the greens. I know it is a necessary evil for the health of the greens, and I know this is the time of the season to do it, but it still stinks for a couple of weeks. The course has just greened into its beautiful self, and the weather is the best of the year, and the greens are like putting on the moon. Well, I suppose Mrs SAM will be the beneficiary, as I have decided to make a day of Saturday with her rather than going to golf.
 
Slammin'SAM said:
It is that time of year here, I guess. I am talking about time for core aeration of our greens, when they punch out the quarter inch plugs and then top dress the greens. I know it is a necessary evil for the health of the greens, and I know this is the time of the season to do it, but it still stinks for a couple of weeks. The course has just greened into its beautiful self, and the weather is the best of the year, and the greens are like putting on the moon. Well, I suppose Mrs SAM will be the beneficiary, as I have decided to make a day of Saturday with her rather than going to golf.
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It's that time of year here too. Some of the courses that were in pretty bad shape because of the harsh winter already did this and other are doing it now or within the next few weeks. It sucks but it will make the conditions for summer golf beautiful...well minus the humidity haha.
 
They've already seeded our greens around here, but it seems like they're doing it again :confused2: They should offer discounts on such days :D
 
The winter absolutely wrecked the greens on my home course (they say they also have some sort of bug or something like that). They just aerated and sanded my greens and I hate it, but I guess they do what they have to do.
 
I am lucky that the course I play on, we never have punched greens. But that also means the course opens late and closes for the season early. They punch them the day after they close (mid/end Oct) and again in early spring, before they open again (early May)

I putt bad enough as it is, I don't need punched greens.

They also punch the fairways and rough - you guys experience that too?
 
rbelbin said:
I am lucky that the course I play on, we never have punched greens. But that also means the course opens late and closes for the season early. They punch them the day after they close (mid/end Oct) and again in early spring, before they open again (early May)

I putt bad enough as it is, I don't need punched greens.

They also punch the fairways and rough - you guys experience that too?
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I depends on what course and how bad the grass is but yet, they do that near me as well. And they'll rotate the tee boxes as well :)
 
rbelbin said:
I am lucky that the course I play on, we never have punched greens. But that also means the course opens late and closes for the season early. They punch them the day after they close (mid/end Oct) and again in early spring, before they open again (early May)

I putt bad enough as it is, I don't need punched greens.

They also punch the fairways and rough - you guys experience that too?
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I am lucky enough to play on a course that is nice enough to sod trouble area's of rough/fairway and so the whole course aeration isnt necessary. When I was in ohio, the muni-type courses did that alot since they needed to protect the grass that was already there.
 
SethO said:
The winter absolutely wrecked the greens on my home course (they say they also have some sort of bug or something like that). They just aerated and sanded my greens and I hate it, but I guess they do what they have to do.
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We had that too it was some sort of fungus and they tried to fix it with black sand and it just destroyed the greens at our course and make them completely unplayable. I didn't even want to put my putter on the greens because it was so nasty.
 
GolferGal said:
We had that too it was some sort of fungus and they tried to fix it with black sand and it just destroyed the greens at our course and make them completely unplayable. I didn't even want to put my putter on the greens because it was so nasty.
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I know the feeling. The finish on my Scotty is already being worn off, but it is a gamer and gamers look best when they are shown a little love.
 
SethO said:
I know the feeling. The finish on my Scotty is already being worn off, but it is a gamer and gamers look best when they are shown a little love.
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The first time we went out saw the bad conditions was when we got the SeeMore M6 and M7 putters. I think JB would have divorced me if I tried to put on those greens with that putter haha.
 
GolferGal said:
The first time we went out saw the bad conditions was when we got the SeeMore M6 and M7 putters. I think JB would have divorced me if I tried to put on those greens with that putter haha.
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hahaha. The first time out is understandable. I wanted to cry when my putter got its first mark.
 
Ours were punched a month and a half ago.... they are absolutely perfect now. They won't punch them again now until October.
 
They just punched ours on Monday and Tuesday. Welcome to summer!
 
rbelbin said:
They also punch the fairways and rough - you guys experience that too?
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i played on a course that had aerated fw's... it was frikken brutal... ball took some weird bounces... it was not fun and i wanted to get my money back... but the course was way outta the way so we just played
 
My course does this every what seems to be 2 months. It's soooo annoying. The green conditions are always horrible because they are always aerated!
 
Floppy said:
My course does this every what seems to be 2 months. It's soooo annoying. The green conditions are always horrible because they are always aerated!
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That's no good Floppy. The normal seems to be spring and fall at the most.
 
As long as they sand them properly there's usually no real difference.

The problems start when they cheap out on the sand (or the labor to apply it). Then it's like trying to put across a Chinese checkerboard. Although I have to say that it's not quite as bad as Verticutting. I've played greens that were recently Verticut and sometimes the ball will lock into one of the grooves those things leave behind and break or no break that ball doesn't move from that slot.

At least with the checkerboard, I can sort of guess where the ball may end up.

In casual rounds on poorly aerated greens, we usually employ the "One Foot Rule" which is that if your ball comes to rest within a one foot diameter circle around the hole (six inches all around), we just call it "In" and move on.

If it was a money round it'd be different, but who in their right mind would play a money round on poorly aerated greens in the first place?


-JP
 
JPsuff said:
As long as they sand them properly there's usually no real difference.

The problems start when they cheap out on the sand (or the labor to apply it). Then it's like trying to put across a Chinese checkerboard. Although I have to say that it's not quite as bad as Verticutting. I've played greens that were recently Verticut and sometimes the ball will lock into one of the grooves those things leave behind and break or no break that ball doesn't move from that slot.
At least with the checkerboard, I can sort of guess where the ball may end up.

In casual rounds on poorly aerated greens, we usually employ the "One Foot Rule" which is that if your ball comes to rest within a one foot diameter circle around the hole (six inches all around), we just call it "In" and move on.

If it was a money round it'd be different, but who in their right mind would play a money round on poorly aerated greens in the first place?


-JP
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Wow, I have never seen that done. Sounds miserable.
 
They verticut ours as well, but it's never been an issue.

I have played on greens like you are describing however.
 
I didn't expect so much response! I guess misery loves company....

The greens superintendent we have now is a pro, and his top-dressing is usually quite good. The problem in the first few days is that once the greens get watered, some plugs get settled, some don't, but the greensmowers are generally raised because the sand wears the blades something fierce if they don't raise them for a week or so. So, we will have fairly slow, bumpy greens - it won't be awful, but I usually avoid them for a week or so after the aeration. You just can't make a putt w/o some luck, but, heck, I don't make any putts anyhoo so what's the diff? And, by the way, I told Mrs SAM about my Saturday plan and she said go ahead and play, she wants to save all our $$$ for upcoming vacation, so no Saturday outing with her. I guess I have to golf (twist my arm....).

By the way - can I celebrate right here? I just finished painting/staining my house exterior! WOO HOO - done for another 3 years at least!!!
 
I've seen the verticut at my course, but usually only on a fairway, which I think is way better.

I hate aeration season. It is the worst thing to deal with, but the best thing for the course haha... madness.
 
I played ...

I shot 76 ...

I missed three putts of less than 3 feet ....

I suppose I could miss those on perfect greens, but looking down at all those little holes and bumps doesn't exactly make the confidence roll over me in waves...
 
When my home course punches the greens, I will normally go ahead and play and just work on my approach shots and drop a ball in the bunker and work on those. Once i get the ball on the green I will pick up and move on, I also will work on my course management. After they have smoothed out a bit then I will start playing the hole out and keeping scores again.
 
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